The second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs commences on Saturday night with a battle of the titans in the Western Conference bracket as the Minnesota Timberwolves travel to the Mile High City to square off with the reigning champion Denver Nuggets.
Odds Shark's basketball experts have the moneyline, spread, OVER/UNDER, and player prop picks you need as this highly-anticipated series gets underway.
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Related Link: Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Second Round Preview, Betting Odds
Minnesota Timberwolves Vs. Denver Nuggets Game 1
Matchup Page: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets, 7 p.m. ET
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +4.5 (-110) | +156 | O 207.5 (-110) |
| Denver Nuggets | -4.5 (-110) | -186 | U 207.5 (-110) |
David's Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves ATS +4.5 (-110)
Immovable object, meet irresistible force. Minnesota’s defense clashes with Denver’s pick-and-roll game in what shapes up as a very even semifinal series in the West.
The two teams split their four regular season meetings, and they’re two of the best teams in the NBA against the spread. Minnesota’s defense has proven it can travel, Anthony Edwards averaged 26 points against Denver in the regular season, and all signs point to a tight Game 1 on Saturday night in Denver.
Chris's Pick: Denver Nuggets ML (-186)
Denver and Minnesota collided in the opening round of last year's postseason, with the Nuggets taking Game 1 in convincing fashion by 29 points. Obviously the circumstances are different now with both sides having already gone through a series, albeit short ones which didn't go beyond five games.
The Timberwolves covered the spread in three of their four meetings against the champs during the regular season as underdogs, while Denver failed to cover in its last two home games against the Lakers despite winning in five. Those victories literally came down to last-second shots courtesy of Jamal Murray, and an argument can be made that Minnesota poses a much greater threat than the purple and gold ever did. The Nuggets may ultimately prevail on Saturday, but it wouldn't surprise me to these this opener come down to whichever squad makes the final key play of the game.
The moneyline is the safer play until Game 1 provides bettors some sort of a blueprint for how this best-of-seven will play out.
Related Link: Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Game 1 Same-Game Parlay
Chris's Pick: OVER 207.5 Total Points (-110)
Saturday marks the lowest total number for a Nuggets home game all season at just 207.5, with two of the three previous worst marks also coming against Minnesota on March 29 (210.5) and April 10 (214.5). The latter matchup reached the OVER in a 116-107 victory for Denver, while the former came in at 209 points, which would still be enough to be an OVER on Saturday.
The Timberwolves hit the OVER three out of four times against the Suns, as well as in each of their last four road outings when factoring in the tail end of the regular season. They also possess the overall best offense in these playoffs averaging 123.2 points per 100 possessions, but that was also going up against the Suns' overall worst defense.
The low total is enticing enough to roll with the OVER, as the two sides should be raring to compete with neither side having taken the hardwood since at least Monday. That could result in some rust offensively, mind you, but there's too much firepower here and too much at stake to set the bar for this series.
