Minnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction and Odds: 2023 NBA Playoffs

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The Oklahoma City Thunder look to stack another road win in the Play-in tournament against the Minnesota Timberwolves to clinch the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference this Friday night. The winner will face the top-seeded Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Prediction 1

Oklahoma City Thunder +5.5

10/11 (-110)

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Prediction 2

Under 228.5

10/11 (-110)

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Odds from

These odds from William Hill were correct at the time of writing.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder – Game Predictions

Contents

1 Minnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder – Game Predictions
- 1.1 Prediction 1: Oklahoma City Thunder to Cover the Spread (+5.5)
- 1.2 Prediction 2: Under 228.5 Points
2 Timberwolves vs Thunder Preview – Can Minnesota Overcome the Drama?
3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs Oklahoma City Thunder Game Details

One of these teams will be eliminated as the No. 10 Thunder (40-42) try to make the playoffs as the No. 8 seed by going 2-0 in this tournament. The Timberwolves (42-40) were the No. 8 seed in the regular season, but they must win this game after blowing a 15-point lead to the Lakers on Tuesday.

Prediction 1: Oklahoma City Thunder to Cover the Spread (+5.5)

After such a strange regular season race in the NBA, we have seen underdogs go 4-0 ATS and 3-1 SU in the Play-in tournament so far. The Thunder have won their last three games, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a new star who has scored 32-to-35 points in every game this year against Minnesota.

The Thunder have the third-best spread record (46-34-3) in the NBA this year, and no team outperforms the spread better with plus-3.2 points over the line. The Thunder are 20-11-3 ATS as a road underdog, the fourth-best record. Minnesota is 8-17 ATS (32%) as a home favorite, the third-worst record. Count on the Thunder to keep it close.

Prediction 2: Under 228.5 Points

If not for Anthony Davis’ late foul, the Timberwolves would have gone scoreless in the game’s final six minutes against the Lakers. Anthony Edwards does not look 100% healthy and played a terrible game. The Thunder had a high-scoring game in New Orleans, but three of the four meetings between these teams this season failed to surpass 223 points. Look for Oklahoma City’s supporting cast scoring to come down while the Timberwolves also fail to put a big point total up in a game that should go under with elimination on the line.

Timberwolves vs Thunder Preview – Can Minnesota Overcome the Drama?

There is a lot of pressure on Minnesota to win this game at home after the sideline scuffle on Sunday with Rudy Gobert, and then the 15-point collapse against the Lakers on Tuesday. The Thunder have to feel like they are playing with house money in this matchup.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves (42-40) were only No. 20 in Net Rating this regular season, but they enter Friday night’s elimination game with much concern. They can move past center Rudy Gobert trying to punch teammate Kyle Anderson on Sunday, but Gobert’s back spasms leave him questionable to play. Karl-Anthony Towns is also listed as questionable after gutting it out in a tough loss in overtime to the Lakers. But the poor play of Anthony Edwards (3-of-17 FGs, 9 points) suggests his health is also compromised, leaving the Timberwolves in a precarious state with the season on the line.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder (40-42) finished No. 14 in Net Rating with slightly above-average rankings on offense (13th) and defense (14th).Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the star to watch with 31.4 points per game this season, but he got great help Tuesday in New Orleans from Luguentz Dort (27 points) and Josh Giddey (31 points and 10 assists). We know SGA will be consistent, but it will come down to the supporting cast stepping up again on the road for the Thunder to make the playoffs.

Timberwolves vs Thunder Head to Head Record In 2023

The Timberwolves are 3-1 against the Thunder this season, though half of those meetings were in the first three games of the season in October, and the other two were in December. The Thunder won 135-128 in their last trip to Minnesota, and the last matchup was December 16, a 112-110 win by Minnesota.