There’s another hot serving of NBA action on tonight’s plate with several high-profile matchups. A duel between two young teams might be must-see television when the new-look Timberwolves are on the road to take on the Magic. Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball against Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner… what more can you ask for?
Read on for a full preview, prediction and pick for Friday’s Timberwolves vs. Magic matchup, courtesy of odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Timberwolves vs. Magic prediction, preview
No team in the NBA garnered as much opening-night hype as the T-Wolves. They shipped out Julius Randle and Naz Reid this offseason, a heavy cost to pay, but secured LaMelo Ball to put a second real star next to Anthony Edwards. Ball’s presence should prove massive this season, providing an influx of extra ball-handling and playmaking juice in the backcourt that this team sorely needed. In the opener, he delivered – he scored 21 points with six assists and took pressure off Edwards, who erupted for 45 points and 10 rebounds with nine made three-pointers. That star duo provided provided roughly half of the scoring production for Minnesota in the opening 131-106 win over the Heat, but it was still a team effort. The Timberwolves dominated the glass with 52 rebounds to Miami’s 34, with a 17-4 disparity in offensive boards. They also shot 42.0% from deep and created 31 points off turnovers behind 11 steals, so the defense not only stood firm against a talented Miami roster, but came up with extra possessions that helped decide the outcome. While Rudy Gobert is another year older in the paint, Jaden McDaniels and Jonathan Kuminga are a forward duo that should wreak havoc on the defensive side of things.
The Magic dropped their opening game to the Hawks in a high-scoring 132-125 finish, and while the loss stung at home, there were some positives to take away. Orlando shot 48.2% from the field and got to the free-throw line 39 times, also dishing out 30 assists. Paolo Banchero was incredible for the most part – he logged 35 points with 10-for-12 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and 10 assists – though his six turnovers were a bit of a downer. Still, he showed renewed vigor getting to the rim and mashing in the paint, which was a great sign from a 6-foot-10 talent such as himself. Franz Wagner also notched 22 points with six boards and five dimes, and even despite a poor shooting night, Desmond Bane recorded 18 points of his own. That big three should remain formidable this season and power the offense more often than not. However, Jalen Suggs did not play well with just six points and Anthony Black missed that matchup due to an ankle sprain. Tonight, the latter remains sidelined once again, which has this guard rotation lacking one of its best scorers. That could prove problematic against this offense, and beyond his individual efforts, the team will need to be better on the boards after pulling down only 39 in their opening matchup.
Timberwolves vs. Magic pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Magic as a 1.5-point favorite at home tonight with -112 odds on the Moneyline. The Timberwolves are a -108 underdog to win outright with the total set at 234.5 combined points.
This should be an excellent game for various reasons. There’s an absolute ton of star power on display for both sides between Ball and Edwards on one end and the trio of Banchero, Wagner and Bane on the other. The Wolves’ offense was incredible in the opener and should put Orlando’s defense to the test – and for what it’s worth, the Magic slipped to 13th in DEFRTG last season after ranking second and third in each of the prior two years, so it’s still TBD whether they’ll get back to their prior defensive form under new head coach Sean Sweeney. This is a very difficult early test for that unit. It’s hard to not feel very encouraged by what the Timberwolves showed in their season debut, and while Edwards may not score 40+ again, McDaniels has taken strides on offense over the last year and there’s supporting talent that can also get hot in a hurry. After what we saw in the opener, this feels like a spot in which Minnesota brings an interesting case as an outright underdog. The spread is narrow, which is fitting given the upside of Orlando when everyone’s clicking, but still… it’s hard not to feel enthused by the two-way ability the Wolves bring and the new pairing in the backcourt.
