NBA Playoffs: Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden State Warriors odds, picks and predictions
NBA Playoffs: Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden State Warriors odds, picks and predictions
The Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Golden State Warriors as they attempt to take a 3-1 lead in their best-of-7, second-round series Monday. Tip-off from Chase Center is set for 10 p.m. ET (ESPN). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's NBA odds around the Timberwolves vs. Warriors odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.
Regular-season series: Golden State won 3-1
Minnesota escaped with a 102-97 win over Golden State in Saturday's Game 3, covering as a 4.5-point favorite as the Under (202 cashed). G Anthony Edwards put up 36 points and F Julius Randle dropped a 24, 10, 12 triple-double to carry Minnesota's offense in the win. Along with Randle's 10 rebounds, C Rudy Gobert pulled down a game-high 13 as the T-wolves won the battle on the boards 44-36.
Golden State felt the effects of G Steph Curry's absence (hamstring) as the Dubs hit just 10 3-pointers in the loss -- they averaged 15.4 3's in their first-round series upset of the second-seeded Houston Rockets. F Jimmy Butler (33 points) and Jonathan Kuminga (30 off the bench) combined for 63 points Saturday, but the Warriors struggled to find offense outside of the duo. Both F Draymond Green (2 points) and F Kevon Looney (4 points) fouled out in the loss.
Timberwolves at Warriors odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:15 a.m. ET.
Moneyline (ML) : Timberwolves -220 (bet $220 to win $100) | Warriors +180 (bet $100 to win $180)
: Timberwolves -220 (bet $220 to win $100) | Warriors +180 (bet $100 to win $180) Against the spread (ATS) : Timberwolves -5.5 (-105) | Warriors +5.5 (-115)
: Timberwolves -5.5 (-105) | Warriors +5.5 (-115) Over/Under (O/U): 199.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Timberwolves at Warriors key injuries
Timberwolves
None
Warriors
G Stephen Curry (hamstring) out
(hamstring) out F/G Gary Payton II (thumb) available
For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.
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Timberwolves at Warriors picks and predictions
Prediction
Timberwolves 99, Warriors 97
PASS.
I slightly lean toward the Timberwolves to pick up the win as -220 favorites, but they are not worth the risk of betting on as such heavy favorites. I also expect that the Warriors (+180) will put up a ton of fight in this matchup as their backs are against the wall, so it is not a foregone conclusion that Minnesota will go up 3-1 in the series. PASS and bet on the spread and/or total instead.
LEAN WARRIORS +5.5 (-115).
Golden State is a team with far too much winning culture and too big of a playoff riser in Jimmy Buckets (Butler) to expect for the Warriors to roll over even though they have no momentum heading into this game. Look for Butler to have a good game and look for G Brandin Podziemski (9.7 points per game in these playoffs) to be much improved in this matchup en route to the Warriors covering as 5.5-point underdogs.
This is a lean because the Warriors are just 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games, while the Wolves are 5-1 ATS in their last 6. Also, the T-wolves are the much better team with Curry out, making this bet all the more risky.
BET UNDER 199.5 (-105).
The Under has hit in 2 of the 3 games in this series. The Under is also 6-4 for the Warriors and 5-3 for the Timberwolves this postseason.
In order for Golden State to have any chance of winning this game, its defense will have to be dominant as the Warriors don't have enough offensively with Curry out to make this an offensive battle. Look for this to be a scrappy game in which defense tells the tale en route to the Under hitting.
Be aware that there is some risk with this bet as an Under number of 199.5 is very low for a modern day NBA game.
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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