Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction 5-4-24 Picks

The Minnesota Timberwolves travel to the Ball Arena to take on the Denver Nuggets in NBA playoffs Game 1 on Saturday afternoon. Here’s a Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves will be coming into this series with plenty of confidence after making light work of the Phoenix Suns in a 4-0 series sweep in the first round. Anthony Edwards has been leading the team with averages of 31.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game, Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 19.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while Rudy Gobert is averaging 15.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. As a team, the Timberwolves scored an average of 118.3 points per game while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 16.6 percent from the 3-point line in these playoffs.

Denver Nuggets

Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets look set to go all the way after blowing past the Lakers in a tightly contested gentleman’s sweep in the first round. Nikola Jokic constantly flirted with a triple-double as he averaged 28.2 points, 16.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game, Jamal Murray averaged 23.6 points and 7.2 assists per game while Michael Porter Jr averaged 22.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. As a team, the Nuggets scored an average of 108.6 points per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from the 3-point line against the Lakers in the first round.

Why the Denver Nuggets will win

• The Nuggets have won 14 of their last 15 playoff home games.
• The Timberwolves have lost seven of their last eight playoff road games against Northwest Division opponents.
• The favorites have covered the spread in six of the Nuggets’ last seven Western Conference Semifinals games.

Why the Minnesota Timberwolves will win

• The Timberwolves have won each of their last nine games as underdogs when playing with a rest advantage.
• The Nuggets have lost three of their last four games when playing with a rest disadvantage against the Timberwolves.
• The Timberwolves have covered the spread in each of their last 11 games as underdogs when playing with a rest advantage.
• The Nuggets have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four home games following a home win.

Total Points Facts

• Nine of the Timberwolves’ last 10 games as underdogs following a road win have gone OVER the total points line.
• Seven of the Nuggets’ last eight playoff games have gone UNDER the total points line.

Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction

These teams met four times in the regular season, with the series being tied at 2-2, and both are coming into this series in excellent form. There is a chance that the Nuggets are shorthanded for this one, as Jamal Murray is currently listed as questionable. However, with the line so short, I have to stick with the rock-solid Nuggets, who still have more than enough firepower to get the job done at home even if Murray is unable to suit up here. You can make an argument for either side, and I might’ve taken the Timberwolves if we were getting more points, but I will stick with the Nuggets to draw first blood at home in this one.