Minnesota Timberwolves 2024-25 Season Preview, Betting Odds

Karl-Anthony Towns had been a mainstay of the Minnesota Timberwolves since going first overall in 2015, but the front office shook things up anyway with a blockbuster trade sending Towns to the New York Knicks, resulting in mixed emotions and a touch of skepticism now surrounding a team that just reached the Western Conference finals for the second time in franchise history.

In this 2024-25 season preview, we'll look over all important betting odds pertaining to the Timberwolves to see if this team is correct in thinking they're still in the championship picture, or if prioritizing money by getting out of Towns' contract will knock them down a peg.

Minnesota Timberwolves' 2024 Offseason Acquisitions 

Minnesota Timberwolves' 2024 Offseason Departures

Minnesota Timberwolves' 2025 NBA Championship, Western Conference, Northwest Division Betting Odds

Odds as of October 18, 2024 at FanDuel

Up until last season, it's fair to say that few viewed the Timberwolves as anything more than a team with playoff aspirations, as they had yet to show the world they were greater than that. Then, seemingly out of thin air considering the roster hadn't undergone any significant or noteworthy changes that summer, Minnesota battened down the hatches and established an identity based on defense as the only team to allow fewer than 110 points per 100 possessions (108.4).

The team spent most of the season atop the West, finishing just a game back of first place while securing the third seed for the franchise's strongest finish in 20 years.

(Related) How Karl-Anthony Towns To Knicks Shakes Up NBA Championship Odds

Best Bet: Minnesota Timberwolves To Win Western Conference, +480

Out goes Towns and in comes three-time All-Star Julius Randle to fill the four spot with Donte DiVincenzo providing head coach Chris Finch a new weapon to play with off the bench alongside Sixth Man of the Year winner Naz Reid. Even if Randle's immediate returns are few and far between, especially coming off of shoulder surgery, the 29-year-old big man has a player option in his contract and can be used as a trade chip should Minnesota come out of the gate flat. DiVincenzo, meanwhile, is an elite 3-point shooter and looked incredibly poised closing out games for the Knicks in the postseason with clutch shots and high efficiency. 

The Timberwolves' universe still revolves around Anthony Edwards, and he's more than capable of lifting the team back to the conference finals and perhaps even beyond. Towns was his No. 2 and an easy bet for 20 points on any given night, so the incoming Knicks will need to replace that production as fellow starters Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, and Jaden McDaniels aren't known for their offensive chops. 

While still in the thick of it for a top seed, any current reservations stem from simply not knowing if the addition of Randle will help maintain the status quo or create some growing pains once the ball is tipped. There's still a lot to like about the roster, and DiVincenzo's resume is proven for a role he'll continue to thrive in. Perhaps that's what makes the odds for this future so enticing, as Minnesota can be a sneaky bet with more upside than previously envisioned.

Minnesota Timberwolves' 2024-25 Win Total, Make Playoffs Odds

Odds as of October 18, 2024 at FanDuel

Minnesota's 56-26 record in 2023-24 marked the franchise's second-greatest winning percentage ever at .683, trailing only the 2003-24 season when it went 58-24 (.701). It was also the third-biggest jump year over year in the league (.512 to .683), trailing only the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Best Bet: OVER 51.5 Wins, -122

The confidence here stems from the belief that the Timberwolves can absolutely replicate what it just accomplished, even with such drastic adjustments. 

History would suggest that won't happen, as it's been two decades since Minnesota put together consecutive 50-win seasons, but what we just witnessed was too consistently great to think the team will fall off to such a degree. The West is as good as advertised, but the Timberwolves were the top dogs from nearly start to finish. 

Minnesota Timberwolves' 2024 NBA Cup Odds

Odds as of October 18, 2024 at FanDuel

Minnesota went 3-1 in West Group C during the inaugural in-season tournament, losing out to the Phoenix Suns amongst second-place teams advancing to the knockout stage due to point differential. It now has the best odds to emerge from West Group A in what's a favorable draw with the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets being its biggest competition at +260.

Minnesota Timberwolves' 2025 NBA Awards Odds

Odds as of October 7, 2024 at FanDuel

Best Bet: Rudy Gobert For NBA Defensive Player Of The Year, +2000

The online Gobert discourse will continue until his career draws to a close, with the 7-footer being one of the more polarizing talents in the Association as players both past and present deem him to be overrated to an extent. Whether that's true or not is up to the eye of the beholder, but there's no denying Gobert is one of the greatest interior defenders of all time, evident by his four Defensive Player of the Year wins. 

A fifth would break the tie he's currently in with Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace for the most ever, and perhaps voters will be weary to elevate Gobert and put him on such a defensive pedestal. With that being said, Minnesota should once again be in the mix for a top-three defense, and if that's the case, Gobert will receive a bulk of the credit for his shot-blocking and rebounding with his size and length. 

Gobert landed 72 first-place votes, with Victor Wembanyama (the heavy odds leader) the only other player with more than 10 (19). It's only a matter of time until Wembanyama snags this trophy, so this season presents perhaps one of the last few chances "The Stifle Tower" has to establish a new record. 

2024-25 NBA Team Previews, Betting Odds