San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 Best Bets
The San Antonio Spurs are set to take on the league-best Minnesota Timberwolves tonight in the Twin Cities. Their first matchup saw San Antonio lose 117-110 in what was Victor Wembanyama’s first matchup against fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert. Gobert is anchoring the league’s best defense, and Anthony Edwards is making an All-NBA case for himself.
It’s no wonder why the Spurs are heavy underdogs in this game.
Zach Collins guards Zion Williamson.
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The trip to the Land of Lakes is a homecoming for Tre Jones, who is excited and healthy. The Spurs as a whole have a clean injury report, while the Wolves will be without Jordan McLaughlin, Jaden McDaniels, and Jaylen Clark. Anthony Edwards is probable.
Against a league-best defense and offense powered by Karl-Anthony Towns and Edwards, the Spurs will have a very tough matchup tonight. Both teams will be well-rested, as neither has played since Saturday. The Spurs are looking to snap their historic losing streak at 14, and the Wolves are gunning for their fifth win in a row.
Below are the lines and picks, courtesy of SI Sportsbook.
The Lines
Point spread: Timberwolves -12.5 (-105)/Spurs +12.5 (-118)
Moneyline: Timberwolves (-752)/Spurs (+475)
Over/under: 230.5
Our Picks
Safe pick: Victor Wembanyama OVER 19.5 points (-118)
In his first matchup with Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama posted 29 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. He shot nine of 14 inside the arc, proving that even the best defender in the league suffers against him. Now that the Wolves are hot, asking for a near 30-point double-double is a bit much, but he should be able to break 20 points. Unfortunately, he is probably the only Spur with a decent chance of doing so.
Opponent pick: Anthony Edwards OVER 26.5 points (-118)
If Edwards plays, this is an easy bet to make. He missed the last two games due to injury and wasn’t particularly hot before he missed games, but the Spurs have a horrible defense that does not have an answer for Edwards. If Jeremy Sochan starts being a pest–which he takes pride in–Edwards has the Tim Duncan-esque ability to make opponents regret how they approach him. Don’t poke the bear, but take the over.
Team pick: OVER 230.5 total points (-110)
We’ve been trying to be optimistic all season, but the Spurs have been bad. Sure, they’ve shown improvement, but they haven’t been able to win. Against the league’s best team and defense, the Spurs will simply be outmatched. If they crack 110 points, consider that a win, but the Timberwolves will run them out of the building.
