If the NBA season for a contending team is about peaking towards the end of the season, the Minnesota Timberwolves certainly understand that well. Up through January 1, the Timberwolves were just 17-15 with a plus-1.1 net rating. But since the turn of the calendar, Minnesota has gone 21-14 with a plus-5.9 net rating, the sixth-highest in the NBA, and it’s currently on a six-game win streak, tied for the longest in the NBA.
The recent improvements by Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jaylen Clark have helped, but make no mistake about it; the Timberwolves are Anthony Edwards’ team. The 23-year-old is averaging 27.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 40.6% from beyond the arc and playing elite on-ball defense.
Tonight, Minnesota will look to make it seven in a row against the badly slumping Orlando Magic, who look destined for a first-round exit.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Timberwolves are 11-point favorites and the total is set for 206.5. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bets centered around Ant.
Best Anthony Edwards Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Anthony Edwards U25.5 Points (-120)
Orlando’s fortunes took a turn for the worse on January 3 when point guard Jalen Suggs crashed to the floor at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, clutching his back in agony. Suggs’ back injury turned to a quad issue that ruled him out for the remainder of the season. Without the former All-Defensive honoree, the Magic have gone just 11-21 with a negative-5.8 net rating, the fifth-worst in basketball, and what had been the league’s third-best defense fell to just the 11th-best. But even without Suggs, they’ve been pretty stingy by count statistics because they play at the league’s second-slowest pace; Orlando has allowed the second-fewest points per game since Suggs’ injury.
Given the Magic’s leisurely tempo, Edwards won’t get enough shots to reach 26 points, especially with a fully-healthy supporting cast around him for one of the first times all season. He has gone under that total three times in the past five games, and in the exceptions, Rudy Gobert didn’t play in the team’s 125-110 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on March 5 and the Denver Nuggets have a significantly worse defense than the Magic. Gary Harris and Anthony Black, who should both see plenty of matchups against Edwards today, are both above-average defenders. Plus, the game might be non-competitive, which would relegate him to the bench early.
