Timberwolves vs Spurs Props & NBA Playoffs Game 1 Best Bets
The San Antonio Spurs get their first action in a week as they open their Round 2 series with the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight.
While San Antonio is well rested and ready, Minnesota is nursing multiple injuries — none deeper than missing superstar Anthony Edwards heading into Game 1.My Timberwolves vs. Spurs prop previews try to read the tea leaves for this Western Conference clash. Here are my best NBA picks and prop predictions for T-Wolves vs. Spurs on May 4.
Prop picks:
– Rudy Gobert Over 8.5 points (+102)
– Jaden McDaniels Over 2.5 assists (-105)
– Devin Vassell Over 12.5 points (-112)
It’s May 4th. You didn’t think you could get out of here without reading at least one Star Wars reference, did you? Veteran Rudy Gobert goes up against his padawan and fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, giving us Obi-Wan vs. Anakin vibes. And while I don’t think Gobert is going to leave Wemby sliced, diced and smoldering on the edge of a lava river, the Minnesota Timberwolves center can contribute in the scoring column.
Gobert scored in double figures in three of the six matchups with Denver in Round 1, with his points prop bouncing between 9.5 and 10.5 O/U in that series. His Game 1 total is 8.5 O/U with the Over priced at plus money, anchored in his regular-season results versus the San Antonio Spurs. Gobert played the Spurs only twice, posting two and eight points — the latter coming without Wembanyama in San Antonio’s lineup.
The T-Wolves are without Donte DiVincenzo, Anthony Edwards, and potentially Ayo Dosunmu for the series opener, leaving touches up for grabs and a need for the frontcourt to pick up the scoring slack. Projections are positive for Gobert, ranging from about 10.7 to as high as 11.7. That’s more than enough to get past this modest ask for Minnesota’s big man.
T-Wolves forward Jaden McDaniels picked up the scoring slack with Edwards out versus Denver but won’t find the same success in the paint against Wembanyama and the Spurs. Daniels becomes more of an inside-out passer versus San Antonio, drawing in the defense and finding open hands on the perimeter. Minnesota was able to attack the rim with the Nuggets missing Aaron Gordon, sending Daniels’ touches through the roof, but now he becomes more of a drive-and-kick facilitator. He posted assist totals of five, three, and one in three regular-season matchups with the Spurs and finished with three assists in all but one of the six games versus Denver in Round 1. He’ll handle the ball a lot, considering the missing pieces for Minnesota, but will be forced to give it up more in Game 1.
His assist projections for tonight aren’t nonsense on Daniels’ distributing, ranging from about 1.7 to as high as 2.9. Still, with Minnesota missing key pieces, he’ll be leaned on to distribute and generate plays early in the series.
