NBA: Thunder vs Timberwolves Odds, and Picks (Apr 14)
- The Thunder defeated the Pelicans, 123-118, to stay alive.
- Minnesota lost their first play-in game against the Lakers, 108-102.
- These two teams last met on December 16, 2022, in a game the Timberwolves won 112-110.
The Thunder (41-42) and the Timberwolves (42-41) will meet for a do-or-die Western Conference play-in game. The winner will advance to face the Nuggets in the playoffs, while the loser will be fully eliminated.
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How to Watch
- Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
- When: Friday, April 14, 2023, at 9:30 p.m ET
- HowΒ toΒ Watch: ESPN
Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread |
| Thunder | ||
| Timberwolves |
Picks
Oklahoma City managed to take down the Pelicans in their first play-in game on Wednesday. They led by a decent margin for much of the 2nd-half, before allowing New Orleans to climb back into the game and take the lead late. Fortunately, the Thunder held on, led by young stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl) and Josh Giddey (31 pts, 10 ast, 9 reb). They’ll aim for similar performances in this game.
The Timberwolves lost to the Lakers in a disappointing first play-in game. They led by a double-digit margin for much of the game, but had a horrid 4th quarter on offense. Minnesota led by 10 points with 11:14 left in the game, but then scored just 6 points over the next 11+ minutes. They eventually lost the lead but forced OT, which they lost in. The T-Wolves need to get over their offensive woes in this game.
Picks
Maybe the recency bias of Oklahoma City winning their first play-in game and Minnesota losing theirs is affecting me, but I’m pretty surprised to see the Thunder listed as such a large underdog. They may lack the same experience that the Timberwolves have, but they also have several young stars. Minnesota will certainly be tougher with Rudy Gobert back in the lineup, but I still see the Thunder emerging victorious.
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