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USATSI

The Minnesota Timberwolves' path back to the playoffs begins on Wednesday night when they start their season against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Minnesota won all four games against the Thunder during the regular season last year, and Oklahoma City is tasked with figuring out how to make things work without their first pick from this year's NBA Draft, Chet Holmgren, after he was lost for the season with a foot injury at the end of August.

Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET at the Target Center. Minnesota is favored by 10.5 points in the latest Timberwolves vs. Thunder odds from Caesars Sportsbook, and the over/under is set at 225. Before making any Thunder 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 three-plus seasons. The model went on a stunning 88-60 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 Timberwolves vs. Thunder. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Timberwolves vs. Thunder:

  • Timberwolves vs. Thunder spread: Timberwolves -10.5
  • Timberwolves vs. Thunder over/under: 225 points
  • Timberwolves vs. Thunder picks: See picks here

Why the Thunder can cover

When the Thunder are completely healthy, they have a lineup that can make things difficult on any opponent. After an 0-4 start to last season, they ripped off five wins over their next seven games. When it comes to Oklahoma City's success, the conversation always starts with guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with career-high averages in points (24.5) steals (1.3) and field goal attempts (18.8) per game.

Josh Giddey quietly had one of the league's best rookie seasons, and his versatility on both ends of the floor provides the do-it-all presence a young team like Oklahoma City needs to stay competitive on a game-to-game basis. The Thunder were a top-10 rebounding side last season, averaging 45.6 per game. 

Why the Timberwolves can cover

Anthony Edwards established himself as a star last season, averaging 21.3 points per game. He and Karl-Anthony Towns, who averaged 24.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game last season, make for one of the strongest one-two punches in the Western Conference. Minnesota doubled down on its frontcourt when it traded for Rudy Gobert from Utah in the offseason.

Although the Thunder rebounded the ball well last season, they also allowed opponents to come away with 48.4 per game, which was the highest average in the league. Minnesota was a middle-of-the-road team on the glass last season (44.2 rebounds per game), but Gobert will provide a major lift to that. Last season, he averaged a career-high 14.7 rebounds per game, which was also the highest average in the NBA.

How to make Thunder vs. Timberwolves picks

The model has simulated Timberwolves vs. Thunder 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

Who wins Timberwolves vs. Thunder? And which side of the spread is a must-back? 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.