Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Game 2 Betting Preview, Odds, How To Watch

Game 1 of this series went pretty much as most expected: down to the wire. However, the team that came out on top was somewhat of a surprise, as the Minnesota Timberwolves stole one on the Denver Nuggets’ floor to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The defending champs are the defending champs for a reason, however, and no doubt they will make adjustments to come back firing in Game 2.

Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves NBA 2nd Round Game 2 Betting Odds

All odds provided by Sports Interaction.

When to Watch and How to Watch Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Game 2

The most intriguing matchup of the second round will get back underway with Game 2 of this Western Conference series between the No. 2 Denver Nuggets and No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves taking place at Ball Arena in Denver at 10:00PM EST. Canadian viewers can catch the action on TSN, Sportsnet, or RDS while streamers can watch via the TSN app or Sportsnet NOW. American viewers will be treated to a TNT broadcast of the contest.

Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Game 2 Point Spread Betting Preview

Ontario sportsbooks are clearly thinking the same thing we are: there’s just no way the defending champs can lose two straight games at home to open a playoff series. It just can’t happen.

The Nuggets are 19-7 straight up this year after a loss, and they have only dropped back-to-back games twice since mid-December.

In Game 1, the Timberwolves won because of a few major factors. The first is that Anthony Edwards went unconscious and put up a 40-ball. Aaron Gordon was matched up on the Wolves’ best player for just 1:06 in that contest, as the 6’4” guard got whatever he wanted against smaller guys like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jamal Murray, and Christian Braun.

If head coach Michael Malone knows what’s good for his team, he’ll make that adjustment for Game 2 and put the 6’10” Gordon on Edwards, as he claims the size advantage without giving up anything in the athletic department.

Another reason was because of Jamal Murray’s lack of offensive impact, as the star guard who hit two game winners in round one managed just 17 points.

However, the great ones—and Murray is a great playoff performer—never stay down for long, and Murray has failed to hit 20 points in back-to-back games just twice since the start of December. He struggled with the length of the Wolves’ defenders, so Malone will need to scheme him open a little bit more to get him into a rhythm.

The other reason they lost is because Nikola Jokic took a whopping nine threes, hitting just two of them. That’s desperate offense, so the Big Cevapi will need to put his head down, use his elite footwork, and go to work in the post against Minnesota’s big men.

If they can make all of those adjustments, they should be able to bounce back nicely and win Game 2 comfortably to ensure some sort of momentum before heading up to the Twin Cities. Take Denver to win and cover this game’s surprisingly hefty 5.5 point spread.

Here are a few more NBA betting trends to consider:

• Denver is 19-7 straight up following a loss this season.
• Minnesota has covered the spread in their last five straight games.
• The Timberwolves are 11-9 ATS as road dogs this year.
• Denver is 21-22-1 ATS as a home favorite this season.
• Denver went 1-3 ATS against Minnesota during the regular season.

Best Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Game 2 Player Props

Karl-Anthony Towns has scored 20+ in back-to-back games now, and it seems like he will be one of the guys that Denver kind of has to allow to put up numbers if they want to hone in on stopping Anthony Edwards. He’s shot 19-for-30 over the last two games, and with Gordon likely helping on Edwards and Jokic splitting time between KAT and Gobert, the more offensively inclined KAT should be able to get to his spots and shoot efficiently. He did average 22 points per game during the regular season after all.

Denver is 19-9 since the start of December when Aaron Gordon takes 10+ shots. He did so thrice against the Lakers, and the Nuggets won all three. If the Nuggets are going to win this game, they need someone other than Jokic and Murray to step up, and we like Gordon to be that guy in Game 2. A few easy dunks early on could get him rolling for the rest of the game, in which case he will blow past his 12.5 points prop.