‘Ant-Man’ unstoppable again?
The first semi-final is already underway in the Western Conference: Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves! Predictions and odds for the exciting duel in the Ball Arena are available here
The home side dispatched the Lakers 4:1 in the first round of the postseason, repeating their victory from last year when the pairing took place in the conference finals. The visitors were through even quicker with Phoenix. With a sweep, they sent the basketball hunters from the Valley on an early summer vacation.
For Game 1 between Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, the forecast now includes more than 26.5 points by Anthony Edwards on the visitors’ side. Odds for the series opener at the Ball Arena are available at Interwetten, where there is also a bonus for new customers!
Denver Nuggets – Statistics & current form
The team of coach Michael Malone has not lost at home since the end of March. However, their last defeat came against their upcoming opponents. In the postseason, the champions have been very stable so far.
They have only lost one of five games against the Lakers and Jamal Murray has once again shown his quality as an excellent playoff player. He dealt LA the decisive blow several times with a successful attempt shortly before the end of the game
Maximum 24 points by Murray for the Nuggets?
In the duel between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, betting tips and odds on less than 24.5 points by the guard are equally worth a recommendation. Murray only surpassed the selected limit in one of the five postseason games against the Lakers and averaged 23.6 points in the most recent series.
The 27-year-old is therefore not the ultimate scoring machine, but rather the reliable “to-go-guy” for the decisive clutch points. What’s more, Denver now face a team that is stronger defensively than LA.
Odds for the latter prediction are available at Bet365 and the bookmaker from the island also offers an attractive bonus for new customers.
Jokic on his way to the next MVP title?
The hosts also have the best center in the NBA at their disposal in Nikola Jokic. The Serbian already led his team to the title last year and is once again showing no weakness in the current edition of the postseason. It’s easy to see why he only just missed out on an average triple-double against the Lakers with 28.2 points, 16.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists!
Minnesota Timberwolves – Statistics & current form
Minnesota was the only team in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs to advance to the next round with a 4-0 record. It was also a historic success for the franchise from Minneapolis. For the first time in the last 20 years, the Timberwolves won a series in the postseason.
Against the Suns, they once again clearly demonstrated their strong defensive skills. Although the other side featured the NBA’s top scorers in players such as Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, the men from the Target Center held their opponents from Phoenix to double-digit points in two of the four games of the series.
Timberwolves also feel comfortable away from home
In addition, coach Chris Finch’s team can rely on its strength on the road. In the regular season, the visitors won around 63 percent of their away games and only the New Orleans Pelicans topped this figure in the corresponding Western Conference standings.
With this in mind, the prediction of an away win in Game 1 between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, including a handicap of +4.5 points for the visitors, is also worth considering
Denver Nuggets – Minnesota Timberwolves Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
The basketball teams from Colorado and Minnesota faced each other four times in the regular season and both teams won twice. However, the Timberwolves’ current away record in this pairing could be improved. They have only won the last of their last seven games at the Ball Arena!
Denver Nuggets – Minnesota Timberwolves betting tip
An Anthony Edwards recently received a real accolade from none other than Kevin Durant. The Suns forward, who won the title twice with the Warriors and earned Finals MVP honors each time, called Edwards his favorite player in the NBA and predicted a bright future for him.
KD must know, given his own class, and the verdict was confirmed by the first playoff round. With the exception of the second game, “Ant-Man” played unleashed and averaged 31 points!
In addition, he now has the most playoff games (8) with 30 or more points in the history of the franchise, as he overtook the previous record holder in the form of NBA legend Kevin Garnett. For the clash between the Nuggets and Timberwolves in Game 1, Anthony Edwards’ bet on more than 26.5 points therefore looks promising!