NBA Odds: Timberwolves vs Nuggets Betting lines & Picks

The home team has yet to win a game in the Western Conference semifinal series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets as it returns to the Mile High City for Game 5 on Tuesday tied 2-2.

The Nuggets are favored on the NBA odds with Jamal Murray questionable for this Game.

Expert Pick Nuggets -4.5 (total 206)

Minnesota Timberwolves Lines +149

After winning the first two games of this series fairly easily in Denver, it sure looked like the Timberwolves might sweep out the defending champions but they could not hold serve at home. The series is now 2-2 after Denver’s 115-107 win in Game 4 on Sunday night. There was more to the Wolves’ loss than the final 20.2 seconds of the second quarter, but they lost by eight and they gave up eight points in that final sequence so a seven-point lead became 15. On offense, Minnesota was frantic for the first half.

“This is a great team. They’re not going to beat themselves,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “We talked about that at the beginning of the series. It’s inexcusable to have a segment like that where they have eight points in seven seconds or something like that. … These are inexcusable plays you can’t make right now.”

Anthony Edwards was terrific in the loss with 44 points, five rebounds and five assists in 45 minutes and 20 seconds. He shot an efficient 16-of-25 from the floor, while his teammates combined to shoot 23-of-57 for just 63 points. The Wolves outscored Denver by five in those minutes and lost the 2:40 he sat by a staggering 13 points. His teammates shot 40 percent for the game and 30 percent from deep.

“I don’t think they got any momentum. We won two games. They won two games,” Edwards said with a shrug. “At this point, it’s whoever wins two games. I don’t know how people look at it, but I look at it like I’m happy. I’m ready.”

Towns scored at least 20 points in Games 1 and 2 of the semifinals in Denver, but he failed to eclipse 14 points at home in Games 3 and 4. Towns has been mostly deferential on offense through eight postseason games, averaging 18.5 points on just 11.5 shots per contest.

Mike Conley added 15 points and nine assists. He’s now scored in double digits in three of the four games thus far while dishing out at least six assists each time.

Denver Nuggets Lines -175

What an amazing turnaround for the Nuggets after losing the first two games as in the two games in Minnesota, the Nuggets shot 54% overall and 48% from on 3-pointers in Game 3, then 57% and 45% on Sunday night in Game 4. They return to Colorado having reclaimed their championship swagger and with home-court advantage back in their pocket.

It’s largely thanks to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray rekindling their two-man game and getting comfortable in areas of the court where they’re most dangerous. In the first two losses, Jokic and Murray weren’t able to establish any on-court bond as Minnesota refused to let Jokic attack from the short roll. Asked what his team found in Minneapolis during these two road games, Denver coach Michael Malone quoted former Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich.

“What I found is Rudy T is right, man,” Malone said. “Never underestimate the heart of a champion.’ They were quick to write us off, but these guys, we won a championship a year ago. We went into Miami [in the NBA Finals], won two games in a row. This team has been tested time and time again, and we found a way to solve whatever’s been thrown at us. This series is a long way from being over. We’re not celebrating. It’s 2-2. … But what I found about our group is that they do believe in themselves.”

Aaron Gordon was unstoppable in Game 4 on Sunday as he notched 27 points on 11-of-12 shooting from the field, and he wasn’t just hitting open shots. The Timberwolves defended him well, but everything was falling, and it led to a win that may have saved Denver’s season.

Gordon also picked up seven boards, six assists and two blocks.

“A lot of them were contested so if Gordon turns into Kobe Bryant, we just got to live with that,” Wolves center Rudy Gobert said of Game 4.

Three-time regular-season MVP Jokic ended Sunday’s 115-107 win with 35 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. For the second game in a row, he came through whenever Denver needed him the most. Murray drained a half-court buzzer-beater to end the first half and finished just two assists shy of posting what would’ve been his first double-double of the series. The shooting woes remain for Murray, however, as he’s hitting just 40 percent of his field goals so far in the series.

NBA 1st Half Lines
NBA 2nd Half Lines
NBA Game Props
Championship Lines

Rising to the occasion, as greats do 📈

Take a closer look at Nikola’s Game 4 performance: https://t.co/UcLepqgwWA pic.twitter.com/mothV7duFP
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) May 14, 2024