The 2026 NBA Playoffs tip-off in style this Saturday with four Game 1 matchups on the scoreboard. The second of the four games is the first matchup from the West, as the No. 3 seed Denver Nuggets welcome in the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves to Ball Arena. The action begins at 3:40 p.m. ET, so let’s get warmed up for tip-off by breaking down a few strong player prop bets to consider from this Timberwolves-Nuggets matchup.
The Nuggets are 6.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the game total set at O/U 232.5 points. Denver holds -350 odds of winning the series, while the Wolves sit at +280 to pull off the first-round upset. These teams didn’t meet in the playoffs last year, but the Timberwolves eliminated the Nuggets in 2024 in a seven-game series, while the Nuggets eliminated the Timberwolves in 2023 on their run to the NBA title.
The Nuggets finished the regular season at 54-28, including 28-13 at home, while the Timberwolves were 49-33. They struggled over the last stretch of the season while Anthony Edwards was limited and missed several games due to injury.
Edwards is officially questionable for this game due to right knee injury maintenance, while Peyton Watson (hamstring) remains out for the Nuggets. The rest of the rotation should be good to go, though, so let’s dive into the matchup and look at some of the top player prop bets available on each side ahead of Saturday’s Western Conference clash between the Timberwolves and Nuggets.
Timberwolves at Nuggets Best Prop Bets
Nikola Jokic o13.5 Rebounds (-103)
Jokic has been in beast mode coming down the stretch and has been putting up outstanding numbers across the board. He is carrying the Nuggets’ entire offense once again this season, and he’s doing great work on the glass as well.
He averaged 12.9 rebounds per game in his 65 games this season and 15.0 rebounds in his four matchups against the Timberwolves.
Coming down the stretch, Jokic averaged 14.3 rebounds and went over this prop line in 12 of 16 games before playing just 18 minutes in the regular-season finale to satisfy the 65-game minimum requirement to qualify for postseason honors. He still had eight quick rebounds in those 18 minutes against the Spurs.
Since he should play huge minutes now that we’ve reached the postseason, he should be able to surpass this prop total on Saturday in Game 1. He has at least 14 rebounds in each of his last eight games with his Nuggets as the favorites.
Jaden McDaniels o15.5 Points (-106)
The Timberwolves have had to rely more on McDaniels and the rest of their roster while Edwards has been dealing with his knee issue. McDaniels has stepped up with at least 16 points in seven straight games. He also sat out six games with left knee tendinopathy and a bone bruise, but he looked sharp in his two games after returning.
McDaniels only played 19 minutes in his return against the Magic, but he poured in 18 points. He increased his workload to 35 minutes in the next game, scoring 16 points in a big win over the Rockets.
McDaniels has stepped up for Minnesota in past playoff opportunities. Last year in the team’s 15-game playoff run, he averaged 14.7 points per game and scored at least 16 points in six of those contests. He has been more involved in the offense this season and should be even more ready to roll in this series, especially if Edwards takes a game to get ramped up.
Ayo Dosunmu o18.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-103)
Another player carrying a larger workload over the last few weeks has been the team’s trade deadline acquisition, Ayo Dosunmu. Dosunmu played 24 games with the Timberwolves, including nine starts. He came off the bench in his last appearance of the season behind McDaniels and Edwards, but he still played 26 minutes and had 19 points, rebounds and assists (PRA).
He averaged an impressive 29.7 PRA over his last 10 games of the season and 24.7 PRA in his 17 games since March 1.
Dosunmu can contribute in a variety of ways, depending on what the team needs in the matchup. His versatility should keep him as a key piece of the Wolves’ rotation, and it makes his PRA the best way to target his player props since it provides multiple paths to victory.
Bonus Parlay Pick: Aaron Gordon o14.5 Points (-123)
If you’re building a SGP (Same Game Parlay) for Game 1, adding in Gordon to get at least 15 points boosts the odds up to a nice +1200 for the four Timberwolves-Nuggets bets in this post.
Gordon averaged 16.2 points per game over his 36 games this year. He played 13 of those games after March 1, averaging 13.5 points per game in 27.8 minutes. He scored at least 15 points in seven of those games, including four of his last five with typical minutes. The proven playoff performer should be ready to contribute this postseason.
