The San Antonio Spurs (2-1) have won their last two games after a lopsided season-opening loss, and they could end Monday as one of the top teams in the Western Conference if they can notch a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1). Minnesota shooting guard Anthony Edwards has picked up where he left off last season, and leads the Timberwolves in scoring after three starts, with 23.7 points per game. New Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert finished with 10 blocks in three games against the Spurs last season, more than any other single opponent he faced in 2021-22.
Tipo-ff is set for 8 p.m. at the Target Center. Minnesota is favored by 8.5 points in the latest Spurs vs. Timberwolves odds from Caesars Sportsbook, and the over/under is set at 234.5. Before making and Spurs vs. Timberwolves picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the advanced computer 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 seasons. The model enters Week 2 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 91-63 roll on all top-rated NBA picks last season, returning over $2,100. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Spurs vs. Timberwolves. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Timberwolves vs. Spurs:
- Spurs vs. Timberwolves spread: Timberwolves -8.5
- Spurs vs. Timberwolves over/under: 234.5 points
- Spurs vs. Timberwolves picks: See picks here
Why the Spurs can cover
Even though the Philadelphia 76ers have started the season in a funk, a win against a contender to win the Eastern Conference is still worth noting. In the Spurs' 114-105 win against Philly on Saturday, four starters scored into double figures, led by Devin Vassell (22 points) and Keldon Johnson (21 points). Center Jakob Poeltl is off to a tremendous start this year, and is averaging 16 points per game to go with 9.7 rebounds.
The Spurs have scored the 10th-most points per game this season (117.7), and are ninth in pace (122.7). San Antonio should have plenty of scoring opportunities on Monday, as the Timberwolves rank last in opponent shots allowed (101.3). Minnesota has made less than 30% of its 3-point attempts this year, and San Antonio held the 76ers to just 32.3% from distance on Saturday, so Minnesota's potential to separate with a big lead could be diminished.
Why the Timberwolves can cover
Minnesota hit 52.3% of its shots on Sunday in a 116-106 win against Oklahoma City. After an off-night from the field in his season-opener against OKC, Anthony Edwards was in the zone during his second matchup against the Thunder, and finished with a game-high 30 points. Edwards also worked the glass and finished with 11 rebounds, as the T-Wolves won the rebounding battle 54-42.
With Gobert on the floor, Minnesota has started the season as the league's top rebounding team, and has averaged 56.3 per contest. The Timberwolves have also been one of the league's best inside the arc, and have the fourth-highest two-point field goal percentage in the NBA (56%). On the defensive end, Minnesota has held opponents to the fourth-lowest overall field goal percentage (42.1%), and has yielded just 21.3 free-throw attempts per game.
How to make Spurs vs. Timberwolves picks
The model has simulated Spurs vs. Timberwolves 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in more than 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
Who wins Timberwolves vs. Spurs? And which side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
