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The Timberwolves visit the Kings to open the NBA Season! The Timberwolves need to bounce back after their opening night loss, while the Kings have a lot of potential once again this year. Let's continue our NBA odds series with a Timberwolves-Kings prediction and pick.
The Timberwolves were a surprise team last season. Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, and Rudy Gobert have the talent to be a tough team this year. They lost their first game against the Lakers but can bounce back in this game against the Kings, especially with how much the Kings struggle on defense.
The Kings were a good team again last year, but their defense caused them to fall to the play-in spot in the West. The keys for them are De'Aaron Fox and Domanatas Sabonis, which will help to have DeMar DeRozan for added scoring. The Kings have a lot of potential this season, but they need to figure out their defense.
Here are the Timberwolves-Kings NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Timberwolves-Kings Odds
Minnesota Timberwolves: +1 (-108)
Moneyline: -116
Sacramento Kings: -1 (-112)
Moneyline: -102
Over: 221 (-110)
Under: 221 (-110)
How To Watch Timberwolves vs Kings
Time: 10:00 pm ET/7:00 pm PT
TV: FanDuel Sports Network North/NBC Sports California
Article Continues Below
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Timberwolves Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Timberwolves were not great on offense last season. They were 18th in scoring at 113 points per game, 10th in field goal percentage at 48.5%, and third in three-point percentage at 38.7%. Six different Timberwolves averaged over double digits, with Anthony Edwards leading at 25.9 points per game. Two players averaged at least five assists last year with Anthony Edwards and Mike Conley, and Conley led with 5.9 assists.
The Timberwolves' defense was the best in the NBA last year. They were first in scoring defense at 106.5 points per game, first in field goal defense at 45%%, and seventh in three-point defense at 35.4%. Rudy Gobert was the key for the defense last year and led the team in rebounds at 12.9 per game and in blocks at 2.1 per game. Two players averaged at least one steal, with Anthony Edwards leading at 1.3 per game. This team lives off their defense and has much potential again because of how well they play defense.
Why the Kings Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Kings' offense was great last season. They were ninth in scoring at 116.6 points per game, 14th in field goal percentage at 47.7% from the field, and 16th in three-point shooting at 36.6% from behind the arc. Six Rockets averaged over double digits in scoring, with De'Aaron Fox leading at 26.6 points per game. Three players averaged at least five assists, with Domanatas Sabonis leading the way at 8.2 per game. De'Aaron Fox makes this team go, but Domantas Sabonis is also an X-factor for the team with what he does down low and how well he can pass.
The defense for the Kings struggled last season. They allowed 114.8 points per game, 48% from the field, and they were awful against the three-point line, allowing 38.7% from behind the arc. Domanatas Sabonis has been great down low and led the way in rebounding at 13.7 per game. Then, down low, Keegan Murray led the way in blocks at 0.8 per game. De'Aaron Fox leads the team on the perimeter in steals at 2 per game, with Murray just behind him at one steal per game.
Final Timberwolves-Kings Prediction & Pick
These two teams are complete opposites. The Kings love offense, while the Timberwolves love defense. Expect the Timberwolves to bounce back after their first game and win this game on the road in Sacramento. They have a game under their belt and should feel confident even with the game on the road. The Timberwolves and their defense are the difference, so expect the team to cover and win outright.
Final Timberwolves-Kings Prediction & Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves +1 (-108)
