Thunder vs Timberwolves: Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds, Picks.
The short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in a game potentially missing numerous players.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been cleared to play for the visiting Thunder, which is excellent news. D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns are game-time decisions for Minnesota.
NBA betting odds have the Timberwolves at -7½, so there is confidence with bookmakers of the home side taking it out.
- Game: Oklahoma City Thunder (13-23) at Minnesota Timberwolves (17-20)
- Location: Target Center
- Day/Time: Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET
- Watch: NBATV
Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves
Thunder Cover Spreads
It could pay to overlook the head-to-head record of the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have struggled to close out games, but they have little problem covering the spread.
They are 23-13 against the spread, including consecutive spread covers over New York and Dallas. Their most impressive performance came when scoring a 95-80 win over the Knicks before covering a 10-point spread against Dallas.
Betting online markets have had the Thunder as underdogs for their last 10 games. That’s unlikely to change much for the rest of the season, but it doesn’t mean they’re a bad bet.
The Thunder have made bettors plenty and only Covid protocols could be a barrier against the Timberwolves. Tre Mann and Darius Bazley are tipped to miss some time, but getting Gilgeous-Alexander back is a huge boost.
Josh Giddey is another reason to bet on the Thunder. He became the youngest player to record a triple-double so the Australian, who played in the NBL last season, is making strides.
“It’s cool, as I said earlier in the year. The individual stats are good, you enjoy it for the night,” Giddey told ESPN. “But a win is always better than individual stats. If I have zero-zero-zero and we win, it’s always better than if I have a triple-double and lose.”
They are enough reason to be confident in Oklahoma City covering the spread. A line of 7½ points is a lot to give a team as young and talented as the Thunder, so bettors shouldn’t look too closely at their straight-up record.
Timberwolves Underperforming
Expectations for the Minnesota Timberwolves are often quite high, but they’re underperforming once again.
They haven’t had much luck with players missing action, which could include Towns and Russell, but they need to start playing more consistently.
They scored wins over the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers in the last 10 days, but in between came losses to the Knicks, Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers.
The Timberwolves have covered the last two spreads, so bettors have had recent success. However, recent results against the Thunder are a massive cause for concern.
With only one win from their last seven games against the Thunder, it’s tough to have confidence with the Timberwolves. They suffered a 112-103 loss in their most recent meeting, so they need to turn those results around.
The sportsbook could be giving Minnesota too much credit for playing at home.
Thunder Down Under
We think Giddey could be the difference between the Thunder winning and losing. His confidence levels are soaring and he’ll only continue to improve.
Bettors haven’t seen enough from the Timberwolves to bet on them with any confidence, so the Thunder are one of our NBA best bets for Wednesday.
Getting +7½ points is a steal and the Thunder could have a chance to win the game outright on the final possession.
Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder +7½
