The Minnesota Timberwolves (34-29) visit Paycom Center Friday to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder (20-42). Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Timberwolves vs. Thunder odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
The Timberwolves are coming off a 15-point win over the Golden State Warriors as 3.5-point home underdogs. They have covered 3 of their last 4 and are 5-4-1 against the spread (ATS).
Minnesota is led by C Karl-Anthony Towns who is averaging 24.5 points per game. The Wolves currently sit 7th in the Western Conference.
That’s 7 spots higher than Oklahoma City who sits 14th in the conference with a 20-42 record. However, the Thunder are 37-21-4 ATS this season and are 14-10-4 ATS as a home underdog.
The Thunder are missing two key scorers, G Josh Giddey and G Lu Dort, but will have G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is averaging 23.6 points per game.
Timberwolves at Thunder odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 10 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Timberwolves -540 (bet $540 to win $100) | Thunder +380 (bet $100 to win $380)
- Against the spread (ATS): Timberwolves 9.5 (-110) | Thunder +9.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 230.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Timberwolves at Thunder key injuries
Timberwolves
- F Jarred Vanderbilt (quad) questionable
- G Anthony Edwards (patella) out
Thunder
- G Lu Dort (shoulder) out
- G Josh Giddey (hip) out
- F Derrick Favors (back) out
- F Aaron Wiggins (ankle) out
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Timberwolves at Thunder odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Timberwolves 116, Thunder 110
Money line
PASS.
I like the Thunder to keep this game close, and their money line at +380 is the only playable side. However, I’d still look to the points for any team-specific value.
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Against the spread
BET on the THUNDER +9.5 (-110).
The Thunder are 5-3-2 ATS over their last 10, riding high following a 12-point road win over the Nuggets as 15.5-point underdogs.
The Thunder may have a lengthy list of injuries, but it’s SGA who has singlehandedly propelled their recent success. He’s averaging 33.5 points per game over his last 4 games.
The Wolves rank 25th in defensive rating following the All-Star break with the Thunder sitting 16th. Minnesota is down its second-leading scorer, Edwards.
The Wolves should still come out on top, but I expect SGA and the Thunder to keep things close.
Over/Under
“LEAN” to the UNDER 230.5 (-110).
The Wolves have length in F Jaden McDaniels and Towns in the paint. Those two should be able to make shots difficult for SGA. Also, the Thunder’s strength this season has been defensive.
They rank 30th in points per game, 102.1.
While they’ve gone over in 5 of their last 6, they have yet to have a total at 230.5 in that stretch. This will be their highest total of the season. The Thunder also rank 30th in field goal percentage and three-point percentage.
The Wolves rank 6th in scoring but 24th in field goal percentage. With the Thunder the 2nd-best defensive rebounding team since the All-Star break, those second-chance opportunities should be limited.
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