The second round is here as the Minnesota Timberwolves square off with the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Saturday night at Ball Arena. We’re here to share our NBA odds series, make a Timberwolves-Nuggets Game 1 prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Timberwolves swept the Phoenix Suns in the first round, earning them a trip to the semifinals and a rematch with the Nuggets. At first, they dominated Game 1 and 2 against the Suns at home. The Wolves blew out the Suns in Game 3 on the road. Finally, they edged them out in a close game in the finale to seal their ticket.
The Nuggets defeated the Lakers four games to one to seal their ticket to the semifinals. Initially, they rallied to beat the Lakers in Games 1 and 2. Denver even trailed Los Angeles by 20 points at one point but won Game 2 because of a game-winning shot by Jamal Murray. Next, the Nuggets rallied again to take down the Lakers in Game 3 at Crypto. The Nuggets fell 119-108 in Game 4. Eventually, they closed out the series thanks to another game-winning shot from Murray.
The Wolves and Nuggets split the season series, with each team winning a road game. Significantly, the Nuggets won a first-round series against the Wolves 4-1 last season. The Timberwolves hope to showcase they have grown and take down the defending champions.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Minnesota Timberwolves: +4.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +158
Denver Nuggets: -4.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -188
Over: 208 (-110)
Under: 208 (-110)
Time: 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT
TV: TNT
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
The Timberwolves are playing some of the best basketball in the world right now. Amazingly, they took down a team that featured Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal without losing a game.
Anthony Edwards has been exceptional, averaging 31 points per game in the first-round series. Furthermore, he is shooting 51.2 percent from the floor, including 43.8 percent from the triples. Edwards also has averaged eight rebounds and 6.3 assists and also managed two steals a game. Now, he hopes to lead the Wolves over the defending champs.
Karl-Anthony Towns has been solid, averaging 19.3 points per game over the first four contests. Additionally, he is shooting 53.1 percent from the hardwood, including 52.9 percent from the three-point line. Towns is also averaging 9.5 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert is averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds per game while shooting 61.3 percent from the floor.
The Wolves have also gotten good production from Jaden McDaniels, who is averaging 14.3 points per game while hitting 50 percent of his shots. Likewise, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 12.3 points per game, while Mike Conley is averaging 11.8 points per game.
The Timberwolves kept finding ways to blow out the Suns. Ultimately, they did this by shooting the ball well, winning the boards and forcing turnovers.
The Timberwolves will cover the spread if they can continue shooting the ball efficiently. Then, they need to dominate the boards and force turnovers.
The defending champions will have to beat another team they took down last season. Now, they must avoid the mistakes they made against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Nikola Jokic is still one of the best players in the world. Substantially, he continued to play at a high level as he averaged 28.2 points over five games against the Lakers while shooting 59.1 percent. Jokic also generated 16.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game. Also, he had 1.2 steals. Look for Jokic to continue to dominate along the boards.
Murray hit two game-winning shots. However, he struggled to shoot the ball efficiently during the series. Murray averaged 23.6 points per game while shooting just 40 percent from the floor, including only 29.4 percent from the triples. But he also had 7.2 assists per game, showing that he could still contribute even when his shot was failing.
Michael Porter Jr. was one of the best players of the series, averaging 22.8 points per game while shooting 55.3 percent from the floor, including 48.8 percent from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Aaron Gordon averaged 13.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game while shooting 52.8 percent from the floor.
The Nuggets will cover the spread if Jokic and Murray can dominate all over the court. Then, they must contain Edwards.
If the Nuggets play at the level they are capable of, they can blow out the Wolves. However, they did not play at their best against the Lakers. On the other hand, the Wolves played exceptionally well throughout all four games against the Suns. Look for the Wolves to ride their momentum to play well in Game 1. Keep in mind that the Wolves are looking to avenge their loss from last season. While the Nuggets may find ways to win, the Timberwolves will find a way to cover the spread on the road.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Timberwolves-Nuggets Game 1 Prediction & Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves: +4.5 (-110)