The Oklahoma City Thunder will aim for another upset victory when they face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night. Oklahoma City won its third straight game on Wednesday, keeping its season alive with a 123-118 win at New Orleans. Minnesota blew a 15-point lead in its 108-102 loss to the Lakers on Tuesday, but it covered the spread as an 8-point underdog. The winner of Friday's game earns a date with top-seeded Denver in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Rudy Gobert (back) and Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) are questionable for Minnesota, while Jaden McDaniels (hand) and Naz Reid (wrist) are out.
Tipoff from the Target Center is set for 9:30 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Minnesota as the 5.5-point favorite in the Timberwolves vs. Thunder odds, while the over/under for total points is 228.5. Before making any Thunder vs. Timberwolves picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer simulation model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model enters the 2023 NBA Play-in Tournament a stunning 71-36 on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Thunder vs. Timberwolves and just locked in its picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for T'Wolves vs. Thunder:
- Thunder vs. Timberwolves: Minnesota -5.5
- Thunder vs. Timberwolves over/under: 228.5 points
- Thunder vs. Timberwolves money line: Minnesota -220, Oklahoma City +180
- OKC: Thunder are 5-2-2 ATS in their last nine Friday games
- MIN: Under is 6-2 in Timberwolves' last eight overall
- Thunder vs. Timberwolves picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Thunder can cover
Minnesota is coming off a crushing loss to the Lakers, blowing a 15-point lead and failing to clinch a spot in the playoffs. The Timberwolves are dealing with a ton of pressure at home against a pesky Oklahoma City team that has covered the spread in six of its last seven trips to Minnesota. The Thunder have also covered in three straight games this season, adding to their 31-20-1 ATS record as underdogs this season.
They kept their season alive with an upset win over New Orleans on Wednesday night, as star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points and Josh Giddey finished one rebound shy of a triple-double. Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 30-plus points in 13 of his last 16 games. Minnesota has a pair of key players questionable for this game with Towns (calf) and Gobert (back) receiving that designation.
Why the Timberwolves can cover
Towns is a two-way force in the frontcourt. Towns has a knack for pulling down boards and swatting away shots in the lane. The three-time All-Star also owns a reliable jump shot. He averaged 20.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game during the regular season. In Tuesday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Towns finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Guard Anthony Edwards is an athletic, downhill scoring threat. Edwards can soar above the rim and plays with relentless energy. The Georgia product is able to get a bucket from all three levels. He leads the team in scoring (24.6) and steals (1.6) with 5.8 rebounds per contest. On April 9 versus the New Orleans Pelicans, Edwards had 26 points, 13 boards and four steals.
How to make Thunder vs. Timberwolves picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 218 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Timberwolves vs. Thunder? And which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
