Steve Starr
- Go to BetOnline or Bovada for the latest odds on the Nuggets vs Timberwolves matchup
- Denver is an 8.5-point home favorite and the game’s over/under sits at 223.5 points
- TNT airs Game 2 from Ball Arena in Denver, CO on Wednesday, April 19 at 10:00pm ET
Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets laid a 109-80 beatdown on Minnesota in Game 1. The Timberwolves will need a much better effort from Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns in order to even the best-of-seven first-round series.
Will Denver score another blowout on Wednesday night? Before we look at the Game 2 odds, check out the latest 2023 NBA Playoff Betting Odds and our guide to betting on NBA basketball.
Nuggets vs Timberwolves – Game 2
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +8.5 (-110) | +280 | Ov 223.5 (-110) |
| Denver Nuggets | -8.5 (-110) | -350 | Un 223.5 (-110) |
Denver’s Big 3 back together
With the Western Conference bracket loaded with stars such as Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant, it’s easy to forget about Nikola Jokic. Especially when his playoff games start at bedtime for over half the country. (Am I right, Chuck?) However, his No. 1 seeded Nuggets looked like true title contenders in a series-opening 109-80 victory over Minnesota.
The two-time NBA MVP registered 13 points, 14 rebounds and six assists on Sunday. Playing in his first playoff game since 2020, Jamal Murray had 24 points and eight assists, and Michael Porter Jr. added 18 points and 11 boards. It was a great start for Denver’s Big 3, who didn’t play together in each of the last two postseasons because of injury.
Jamal Murray had 24 PTS, 8 REB, 8 AST, 1 TO in the Nuggets 29-point win vs the Wolves.
This was Murray's first playoff game since the 2020 Bubblepic.twitter.com/6Vg1juCtIx
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 17, 2023
Minnesota is a mess
Karl-Anthony Towns clanked 10 of his first 12 shots in Game 1, finishing with just 11 points. Anthony Edwards also had a modest 18 and Mike Conley Jr. didn’t do much in the way of playmaking with only three assists. Rudy Gobert provided 13 rebounds while playing solid defense on Jokic, but his 8 points didn’t exactly move the needle.
It’s difficult to find reasons to believe the Wolves will turn things around in Game 2. While Minnesota split the season series 2-2 with Denver, they’re missing their best perimeter defender because Jaden McDaniels punched a wall in the regular-season finale.
Denver vs Minnesota
Denver is a 8.5-point home favorite on Wednesday. At 35-7, they tied with Memphis for the best home record in the NBA in 2022-23. Michael Malone’s team was also 26-15-1 against the spread in Ball Arena, the second-best home mark in the league. Minnesota was a respectable 21-21 ATS as the visiting club, finishing four games under .500 (19-23) on the road.
The total for Game 2 is set at 223.5 points. The two squads didn’t even come close to sniffing that over-under in Game 1, racking up only 189 points. Nuggets home games also went UNDER 58.5% of the time this year – the fifth-highest mark in basketball.
Rudy Gobert just elbowed Nikola Jokic😬 pic.twitter.com/gbWrOhR64W
— Backcourt Alerts (@BackcourtAlerts) April 17, 2023
Best Bet
Oddsmakers believe Nuggets in 5 (+210) and Nuggets in 4 (+270) are the most-likely outcomes for this series following Sunday’s blowout win. Minnesota should be expected to bring a better effort in Game 2, but Denver has been an absolute beast at home all season.
Take Denver to cover the 8.5-points on Wednesday. The Timberwolves will be lucky to win one game in this series and it won’t come in Colorado.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
