The Denver Nuggets (57-25) travel to face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves (56-26) on Friday, May 10th. This game will be played at Target Center in Minneapolis and televised on ESPN. The Timberwolves are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Nuggets are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Nuggets. Tip-off is set for 9:30 ET.

Nuggets vs Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns both scored 27 points for the Timberwolves in their most recent game, a 106-80 win over the Nuggets. Edwards hit 64.7% of his shots, and Towns knocked down three threes while shooting 60% from beyond the arc. The Timberwolves held the Nuggets to just 34.9% shooting from the field and nine made threes. Denver’s 80 points were well below their season average. Going into the game, the Nuggets were favored by seven points, but the Timberwolves easily covered the spread.

Minnesota’s defense was especially strong in the 2nd quarter, holding the Nuggets to just 15 points. The 186 combined points fell well short of the over/under line of 209.5 points. Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 20 points, while Nikola Jokic had 16 points and 16 rebounds.

Nuggets Offense Breakdown

Denver comes into the game as the NBA’s 15th-ranked scoring offense, at 114.9 points per game. Their production has been better at home this year, at 116.5 points per game, compared to 111.1 on the road. The Nuggets are 2nd in two-point field goal percentage, as they have hit 56% of their looks from inside the arc this season.

Nikola Jokic is averaging 26.4 points per game this season to go along with 12.4 rebounds and 9 assists. Over his last five games, he is at 26 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 9.8 assists. Michael Porter Jr. is averaging 16.7 points and 7 rebounds for the season but has averaged 20.4 points in his last five games, while hitting 42.1% of his threes in that stretch.

Timberwolves Offense Breakdown

Minnesota comes into the game as the NBA’s 18th ranked scoring offense, at 113 points per game. Over their last five games, they have been getting some good production from Anthony Edwards, who is averaging 32.2 points per game in that stretch. This has come while hitting 53.8% of his shots from the field. Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 21.8 points per game for the season and 21 points over his last five games.

For the season, the Timberwolves are the league’s 2nd best three-point shooting team, connecting on 38% of their attempts. They are also in the top ten in overall field goal percentage. In terms of pace, they are 24th in the league.

Nuggets Team Defense

On the season, the Nuggets are 6th in the NBA in points allowed per game at 109.3. They are also 5th in points allowed per game at home, giving up 108.2 points per contest. In terms of three-point shooting, Denver is 2nd in the NBA in made threes allowed per game at 11.1.

Over their last five games, the Nuggets have been even better on the defensive end. During that stretch, they are 12th in points allowed per game at 108.4. They have also been excellent at defending the three-point line, giving up just 31.6% shooting from beyond the arc.

So far this season, opponents have scored less than their season average in 79.3% of games vs. Denver. That number jumps to 75.6% in terms of made threes allowed.

Timberwolves Team Defense

When it comes to defense, the Minnesota Timberwolves are the best in the NBA, giving up just 106.0 points per game. They have been particularly stingy at home, allowing just 103.3 points per contest.

Over their last five games, the Timberwolves have been even better, giving up just 99.4 points per game. During that stretch, opponents have shot 44.8% from the field and 37.2% from three.

For the season, opponents have scored less than their season average in 79.3% of games against the Timberwolves. In addition, opponents have made fewer threes than their season average in 76.8% of games vs. Minnesota.

Key Players For The Nuggets And Timberwolves

In today’s game, we anticipate Nikola Jokic leading the scoring for the Nuggets, contributing 27 points while shooting 10/18 from the field. This season, he is averaging 26.4 points per game along with 12.4 boards.

As for Minnesota, Anthony Edwards is projected to be the primary scorer for the Timberwolves. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 26, and adding 5 rebounds. This season, he has put together a field goal percentage of 46.1%, and he is contributing 25.9 points per game on average.

Nuggets vs Timberwolves Trends

• When looking at their past ten road matchups, Denver has an ATS record of 4-6 while averaging 112 per game. The team went 6-4 overall in these games.
• Minnesota has played well in their previous five home games, going 4-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 113 points per game while allowing 104. The team also performed well vs the spread at 4-1.
• In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Nuggets have a strong straight up record of 3-2. In addition, their ATS record was 3-2 in these scenarios.
• Minnesota has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 2-1 SU and 2-1 ATS in their last three games.

Nuggets vs Timberwolves Prediction

For a point-spread wager in this Timberwolves vs. Nuggets game, we suggest taking the Nuggets at +4.5. Even though our predictions have the Timberwolves winning 112-111, we see the Nuggets as the better choice on the point-spread.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 204.5, and our model projects the Nuggets and Timberwolves to reach a combined total of 223 points. Our bet is on taking the over.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.