Charlie Cummings previews the upcoming first-round NBA Playoffs series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets.
Here we go again. For the third time in four years, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets are squaring off in the NBA playoffs. Denver defeated the upstart Wolves in 2022-23 on their way to a first-ever NBA title before the Wolves got revenge in 2023-24 in a seven-game thriller. Now the grudge match is on.
The Nuggets are -550 to win the series, while the Timberwolves are +280 underdogs on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Let’s dig into a preview and prediction for this first-round playoff series.
Business as usual for the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. They’ve made the playoffs for the fifth straight season, including two straight trips to the Western Conference Finals. It all starts with the excellence of Anthony Edwards, who scored a whopping 28.8 points per game during another stellar regular season. Julius Randle has proven to be a strong complement, and the defensive infrastructure remains strong between Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert. But questions remain about this roster.
Who holds down the fifth starter spot: Ayo Dosunmu or Donte DiVincenzo? Can they get consistent bench play from anyone not named Naz Reid? And will Edwards, who was bogged down with a knee injury, look like his usual self in this series?
Apparently, the Denver Nuggets are inevitable. They struggled with injuries all season long, barely able to get a consistent starting five before someone would go down. But they managed to stay in the thick of the playoff race, and once they got healthy, everything clicked. Denver is coming into the playoffs on a 12-game winning streak; no other team in the NBA has an active streak longer than three victories.
Of course, Nikola Jokic is at the center of things. Leading the league in rebounds and assists while scoring 27.7 points per game, Jokic was the fuel that drove the No. 1 offense in the NBA. Jamal Murray is playing exceptional hoops as well, but as usual, the questions are about everyone else. Will Aaron Gordon be healthy? Can Christian Braun knock down his shots? Who gets the majority of the playing time: Cameron Johnson or Peyton Watson? Can this team put together a real defense, or will every playoff game be a shootout?
Now we know these teams a bit better. What is the best way to bet this series?
It’s difficult to find value in the Nuggets winning this series. But with the way they’re playing, I have a hard time believing the Timberwolves can keep this close. The loss of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a Most Improved Player favorite, looms large over this team. A less-than-healthy Anthony Edwards is rough. Denver is closer to the Thunder and Spurs than they are to the rest of the West, and it will show in this series.
If Minnesota wants to throw an upset in this series, they’re going to need to come out swinging. And I believe they can do that, or at least manage to win their first home game if they go down 2-0. They need to put Denver on its heels early, or else this is going to end poorly. I still think it ends poorly, but they’ll throw a haymaker early on to give everyone pause.
Game 1 of the Timberwolves vs. Nuggets series will take place on Saturday, April 18, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Game 1 will be held at Ball Arena in Denver, with the Nuggets holding home-court advantage in the series.
This is a best-of-seven series between the Timberwolves and Nuggets. The first team to win four games will move on to the Western Conference semifinals.
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