The Minnesota Timberwolves will be facing off with the Orlando Magic tonight, but they will be doing so in shorthanded fashion. Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Ayo Dosunmu and Mike Conley have all been ruled out for tonight’s matchup. Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels are also listed as questionable.
Edwards will officially be ruled out due to right knee injury maintenance, while Randle will miss due to right hand soreness.
The Timberwolves have officially clinched a playoff opportunity and are largely locked into the sixth seed in the Western Conference. They hold a 47-32 record on the season, and they are three games behind the Lakers and Rockets in the standings. Per Basketball Reference, Minnesota holds a 99.7% chance of finishing with the sixth seed with a 0.3% of passing the Rockets in the standings to climb to fifth.
Orlando has more to play for, as it is in a tight race for the Eastern Conference Play-In. The Magic will welcome the additional rest of their opponent. They currently hold a 43-36 record on the season, which slots them in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Orlando is tied with the 76ers in record and holds a half-game advantage over the Hornets behind it.
Looking at the odds for tonight, the Magic will be 9.5-point favorites in the matchup on DraftKings Sportsbook. The shorthanded Timberwolves hold +295 odds of winning outright, with the game total set at 228.5 points.
Looking at the wider scale, the Timberwolves hold the fifth-best odds of winning the Western Conference at +2800 odds and the eighth-best odds off winning the NBA Championship on DraftKings Sportsbook at +5000 odds.
