Tonight’s game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors would’ve earned top billing on the NBA slate, but an unexpected procedure on Anthony Edwards’ knee announced yesterday will now keep him out for around two months. As such, the Wolves are set to rely quite heavily on new acquisition LaMelo Ball, who gets the chance to carry the load against Steph Curry in a battle between star point guards.
Read on for a full preview, prediction and pick for Wednesday’s Warriors vs. Timberwolves matchup, courtesy of odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Warriors vs. Timberwolves prediction, preview
The Warriors end their brief road trip tonight in Minnesota as they look to shake off a rough 1-3 start. The lone win came by 20 points over the Nuggets back on Monday, but otherwise, they’ve dropped games to the Lakers, Grizzlies and Suns. As a group, they rank just 20th in NETRTG at -3.6 thanks to a struggling defense – they’ve allowed 120.8 PPG and are 28th in DEFRTG. However, Golden State is averaging the ninth-most PPG at 117.2 and ranks fourth in OFFRTG, so there’s something to build on there. Stephen Curry is averaging 23.7 PPG, a team-high mark, but he’s not the biggest story for this team so far. Instead, it’s first-round pick Yaxel Lendeborg, who’s played incredible ball to start his career with 21.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. However, the Michigan product is questionable tonight with a foot injury, while Moses Moody and Kristaps Porzingis both remain out and Jimmy Butler continues to rehab his torn ACL. As such, the Warriors may need a lot of help from Brandin Podziemski, who’s averaging 18.0 PPG in two appearances, as well as Brandon Williams, De’Anthony Melton and more.
The Timberwolves looked incredible to open the season as the pairing of Anthony Edwards and offseason acquisition LaMelo Ball instantly gelled. They won their first three matchups against the Heat, Magic and Raptors by 20+ points before falling to the Cavaliers in a two-point overtime loss on Monday. Edwards dropped two outings of 40+ points to start the campaign, but news broke yesterday that he may miss up to two months due to a right knee procedure. That leaves Ball to shoulder a huge workload in the meantime – this is what the team got him for, after all – and will need to step it up a little from his current averages of 14.8 points and 6.3 assists. Jaden McDaniels, averaging 15.0 points and 6.5 rebounds, will also see his role on offense grow in the meantime, as could Terrence Shannon Jr., Ayo Dosunmu and Jonathan Kuminga. Rudy Gobert continues to man the starting center spot and is posting a whopping 14.3 rebounds per game, too. In the absence of Edwards, though, it’s unlikely the Wolves continue to operate at their current elite level. They’re second in NETRTG at +16.4 with top-seven OFFRTG and DEFRTG marks, scoring 122.0 PPG while giving up just 105.0 PPG on the other end. However, that defense could become a calling card to get them through this period.
Warriors vs. Timberwolves pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Timberwolves as a 3.5-point home favorite tonight with -170 odds on the Moneyline. The Warriors are a +142 underdog to win outright with the total set at 227.5 combined points.
Much of this matchup hinges on the status of Lendeborg – which feels a bit wild to say about a rookie who was largely projected to be a role player prior to his early-season explosion. If he suits up, this is a game in which Golden State can probably put up a real fight and perhaps even upset the home side, which will probably need some time to adjust to life without Edwards. Were much of last year’s core still in town, the Wolves would appear far less vulnerable. However, there’s relatively little continuity in their rotation given the exits of Julius Randle and Naz Reid. While Ball is an excellent player, he hasn’t had much time to gel with his new teammates and it’s a bit difficult to just trust Minnesota to win this outright in the first game without its superstar active.
If Lendeborg plays, this should be a close game in which the Warriors can cover against a potentially disjointed opponent. If he doesn’t, though, it’s probably best to avoid Golden State here and bank on the under with a very good defense on one side and a team without a ton of standout scorers on the other. I’m sticking with the latter.
