Subscribe
Follow Us
The Minnesota Timberwolves will battle the Denver Nuggets on Friday night in the NBA. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Timberwolves-Nuggets prediction and pick.
Surprisingly, the Timberwolves are in a secure position as the postseason approaches. Minnesota is essentially locked in to the seventh seed in the Western Conference without much of a chance to go up or down the standings. The Nuggets, on the other hand, have a ton at stake in this game. Denver is currently tied for the fifth seed with the Utah Jazz, making this game incredibly important. A matchup of two playoff teams is always fun to watch, so let's get straight into the pick.
Here are the Timberwolves-Nuggets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Timberwolves-Nuggets Odds
Minnesota Timberwolves: +2.5 (-106)
Denver Nuggets: -2.5 (-114)
Over: 242.5 (-110)
Under: 242.5 (-110)
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
Why The Timberwolves Could Cover The Spread
Article Continues Below
Minnesota's dynamic offense should have a good showing here. The Timberwolves are one of the most explosive offensive teams in the NBA, averaging a whopping 115 points per game. They also shoot 91 shots per game, another one of the highest numbers in the league. The fact that the Nuggets commit 14 turnovers per game should help Minnesota get even more possessions while allowing the T-Wolves plenty of fast-break opportunities. Overall, this is a pretty solid matchup for the Timberwolves' offense.
The Timberwolves have been one of the best teams in the NBA at covering the spread. Head coach Chris Finch's squad owns a 41-34-2 record against the spread on the year. They've also gone 20-19 ATS in road games. Denver hasn't had nearly as much success against the spread over the course of the season. The Nuggets are 35-42 ATS on the year, with an abysmal 14-23 record against the spread at home. Denver has been failing to cover in games like this one all season.
Why The Nuggets Could Cover The Spread
Denver's offense should also have a great game. The Nuggets have been one of the most efficient offenses in the NBA, ranking inside the top three in the league in shooting percentage, shooting efficiency, and effective field goal percentage. It helps that the Timberwolves have been a subpar defensive unit. Minnesota allows 112 points per game while allowing their opponents to shoot 53% from two-point range. The Nuggets have been one of the best teams in the league at scoring from inside the arc, and that should continue in this game.
Minnesota will be dealing with a lack of depth in this game. Key backups Malik Beasley and Jaden McDaniels are both dealing with long-term injuries, taking away key depth from the T-Wolves. In their last two contests, only one Minnesota bench player has scored in the double digits. Asking that much of the starting five is always a dangerous game, especially against a Denver team that has a fairly strong bench. As long as the Minnesota stars don't go off in this game, the Nuggets shouldn't have much trouble in this one.
Final Timberwolves-Nuggets Prediction & Pick
This game should be close, but the Nuggets will come out on top. Minnesota is coming off of two straight losses and they will be playing without a couple of key backups. That should be enough for Denver to pull out a victory.
Final Timberwolves-Nuggets Prediction & Pick: Denver Nuggets: -2.5 (-114)
