Steve Starr
- Go to BetOnline or Bovada for the latest odds on the Timberwolves vs Thunder matchup
- The winner of Friday’s contest will clinch a playoff spot as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference
- ESPN will broadcast the NBA Play-In game from Target Center in Minneapolis on April 14 at 9:30pm ET
Minnesota blew a 15-point lead to LeBron James and the Lakers on Tuesday. They’ll now face the No. 10 seed Thunder in a do-or-die Play-In matchup on Friday night. Oklahoma City picked up a 123-118 victory in New Orleans on Wednesday, and could earn an unlikely spot in the NBA Playoffs with a win over the No. 8 seed Timberwolves.
Who will advance to face the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the postseason? Before we look at the latest odds, check out the latest 2023 NBA Playoff Betting Odds and our guide to betting on NBA basketball.
Timberwolves vs Thunder
 | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +6.0 (-115) | +190 | Ov 227.5 (-110) |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | -6.0 (-105) | -220 | Un 227.5 (-110) |
T-Wolves in tumult
Minnesota is attempting to make the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 2003 and 2004. While that usually suggests a team on the upswing, the Timberwolves have major egg in their face after mortgaging the future for Rudy Gobert. The French center missed Tuesday’s loss to the Lakers after being suspended for punching teammate Kyle Anderson in the regular-season finale.
Gobert will be back for Friday’s contest. The T-Wolves are 3-1 versus Oklahoma City this year, and 2-0 with Karl-Anthony Towns in the lineup.
"You can't hit somebody and run backwards" 😅
Chuck on Rudy Gobert pic.twitter.com/DohHuqen2O
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 11, 2023
Young stars in OKC
In stark contrast to Minnesota, there are only good vibes around the Thunder right now. The league’s youngest team wasn’t supposed to finish anywhere near the playoffs, and already upset the Pelicans in Wednesday’s Play-In game thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey.
The former put up 32 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals while the latter finished with 31 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. While the Wolves mostly dominated OKC in their four matchups this season, SGA had games of 35, 33 and 32 points. One more impressive performance could put the franchise in the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Minnesota vs Oklahoma City
Minnesota is a 6-point home favorite on Friday night. Chris Finch’s club held big leads of 14, 16 and 22 over Oklahoma City in three of their four matchups, so you shouldn’t be scared of the points. However, the Wolves were a mediocre 22-19 in Target Center, and just 8-17 against the spread as a home favorite. Meanwhile, the Thunder finished 19-11-3 ATS as road underdogs (fourth-best in the NBA) and picked up another road win in New Orleans on Wednesday.
The game total is set at a super-low 227.5 points. Keep in mind that Minnesota home games skew heavily towards the UNDER (58.5%).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 17 points in the 3rd quarter. 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/u8iypv7VmB
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 13, 2023
Best Bet
Minnesota’s size has been a bad matchup for the Thunder all year, but here’s hoping Mark Daigneault can figure something out against a T-Wolves team in disarray.
After predicting OKC’s victory over the Pelicans on Wednesday, we’ll keep riding this exciting young squad in hopes they land their first playoff berth in three years.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
