The Denver Nuggets will travel to the Twin Cities to face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves. It's a divisional battle as we share our NBA odds series, make a Nuggets-Timberwolves prediction and pick while sharing how to watch.
The Nuggets are coming off a dominant 128-108 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Ultimately, a big second and fourth quarter propelled them to victory. Jamal Murray led all scorers with 41 points and seven assists. Meanwhile, Michael Porter Jr. had 23 points. Aaron Gordon added 15 points. Amazingly, Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double with 14 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Nuggets shot 50.5 percent from the field. Additionally, they won the battle of the boards 48-43 and forced 15 turnovers.
The Timberwolves are recovering from a 127-120 loss to the Orlando Magic. Unfortunately, they stumbled in the second and third quarters, causing them to fall into a significant hole. D'Angelo Russell had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. Also, Anthony Edwards had 19 points. Rudy Gobert added 15 points and seven rebounds. Ultimately, the Wolves shot 46 percent and committed an atrocious 20 turnovers.
The Nuggets enter this game with a record of 37-16. Likewise, they are 12-12 on the road. Denver is 7-3 in its past 10 games. Meanwhile, the Wolves are 28-27. The Timberwolves are also 19-12 at home. Additionally, they are 6-4 over their past 10 games.
The teams have split the season series. Ultimately, the Nuggets won 122-118 at Ball Arena, and the Wolves won 124-111 at home a few short weeks ago.
Here are the Nuggets-Timberwolves NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Nuggets-Timberwolves Odds
Denver Nuggets: +3.5 (-110)
Minnesota Timberwolves: -3.5 (-110)
Over: 231.5 (-110)
Under: 231.5 (-110)
How To Watch Nuggets vs. Timberwolves
TV: ALT and BSN
Stream: NBA
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Nuggets Could Cover The Spread
The Nuggets are a title contender. Significantly, they are tied for the best record in the NBA and have loads of talent to back up the hype surrounding them around the league. It is just a matter of getting to the playoffs with healthy bodies.
Jokic leads the Nuggets with 25 points per game and 11.1 rebounds. However, he has not had to carry the load like last year. Jokic did not do much against the Hawks. However, they still won because Murray and Porter picked up the slack. Murray averages 19.8 points per game, while Porter has 16.2. Then, there is Gordon. He averages 16.8 points per game and 6.8 rebounds. Substantially, the Nuggets are showcasing their talent and depth and finding ways to win in different ways.
The Nuggets are the best team in the NBA in field goal shooting percentage. Also, they are the top squad in 3-point shooting percentage. But the Nuggets struggle at the charity stripe. Ultimately, they must remedy this issue, especially when the playoffs arrive. The Nuggets are inconsistent on the boards, ranking 18th in rebounds. Moreover, they struggle to handle the ball, ranking 22nd in turnovers. The Nuggets must also figure out how to defend better.
The Nuggets will cover the spread if they can win the battle of the boards. Then, they must also defend efficiently.
Why The Timberwolves Could Cover The Spread
The Wolves miss Karl-Anthony Towns, who has been out since November with a severe calf sprain. Consequently, his injury has hindered them and put them in eighth place in the Western Conference. Minnesota aspired to be a contender before the season, but is barely hanging onto a playoff spot.
Edwards leads them with 24.8 points per game. Meanwhile, Russell averages 18.1 points per contest. Gobert has 13.4 points per game and 11.6 rebounds. Ironically, they have not struggled to score. The Wolves are fourth in field goal shooting percentage. However, they are 19th from beyond the arc. Minnesota also ranks 23rd in free-throw shooting percentage. Moreover, they are 25th in rebounds. The Timberwolves also struggle to handle the ball, ranking 28th in turnovers. However, they are still great on the defensive end, ranking fourth in blocked shots. The addition of Gobert has played a role in that, allowing the Wolves to make up for some weaknesses in other parts of their game.
The Timberwolves could cover the spread if they can convert on their shooting opportunities. Likewise, they must win the battle of the boards and prevent the Nuggets from getting second or third chances.
Final Nuggets-Timberwolves Prediction & Pick
The Nuggets are the better team, and probably the best team in basketball. However, they already lost to the Wolves in Minnesota last month. They also are coming off a late game in Denver, and had to take an overnight plane to get to Minneapolis. All those things will factor in the Wolves getting the win.
Final Nuggets-Timberwolves Prediction & Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves: -3.5 (-110)
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