Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets Prediction, Betting Pick, Latest NBA Playoffs Game 2 Odds
The Minnesota Timberwolves head back to Ball Arena on Monday night for Game 2, already staring at a 1-0 series deficit after Saturday's physical opener. Jamal Murray went off for 30 and Jokic did Jokic things in a grinding 116-105 Denver win. Let's check out the odds and best bet for this Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets prediction on April 20, 2026.
OC Staff - April 20, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT
3 Minute ReadMinnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets Prediction: Odds, Best Bet, and Best Prop for Game 2
Game 1 was ugly, physical, and exactly the kind of playoff rock fight these two teams have made their trademark. Denver didn't blow Minnesota out so much as wear them down with a third-quarter run when the Wolves went cold for four straight minutes and couldn't buy a bucket. The Nuggets now carry a 13-game winning streak into Monday, and their Gordon-back, Jokic-healthy rotation is finally clicking at the right time.
Now the Wolves get 48 hours to clean up the turnovers, find Ant some extra lift on that sore right knee, and figure out how to keep Jokic out of the lane without sending Denver to the stripe. The Nuggets went 30-for-33 from the free throw line in Game 1 and still couldn't pull away. Regression to the mean cuts both ways in Game 2, and that's where the betting edge lives tonight.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets Recent Results
The Wolves limped into the playoffs managing Edwards through knee maintenance, and it showed on the scoreboard. They went 8-6 down the stretch while their offense fell off a cliff in Ant's absences. Julius Randle shouldered the load in those games, averaging 24.0 points per game across three April appearances without his backcourt running mate. A week of rest between the regular season finale and Game 1 was supposed to get everyone fresh.
Denver came in the exact opposite direction, ripping off a 12-game winning streak to close the regular season. That run included quality wins over Oklahoma City and San Antonio, two of the top teams out West. Tack Game 1 onto the pile and the streak now sits at 13 straight overall. Jokic looks as locked in as he has all year, which is saying something given the season he just put up.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets Head to Head
Denver won the regular season series 3-1, with Jokic flat-out terrorizing Minnesota in every meeting. Joker averaged a ridiculous 35.8 points per game across those four matchups while shooting nuclear percentages from everywhere on the floor. The Christmas Day game went to overtime with Jokic dropping a 56-point masterpiece. He set an NBA record that night with 18 points in the extra frame alone.
Playoff-wise, these two have plenty of shared history. The Nuggets took their 2023 first-round matchup 4-1. Two years later, Minnesota answered back with a legendary 20-point road comeback in Game 7 of the semis. This is meeting number three in four years, and the Wolves know a Game 1 loss means very little if they can steal Game 2.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: Monday, April 20, 2026
- Time: 10:30 PM ET
- How to Watch: Peacock, NBC, NBA League Pass
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Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets Odds
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Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets Team News
Ant-Man started Game 1 on that sore right knee and looked the part in the first half. He finished with 22 points but shot the ball poorly while visibly lacking his usual burst on drives. Jaden McDaniels is back from his own knee issue, played well on defense, and promptly picked up an unsportsmanlike technical for shoving Jokic in the back. The Wolves have the pieces to make this a series, but the composure question is very real after one game.
Denver got Aaron Gordon back to full strength and his fingerprints were all over Game 1 despite some early foul trouble. Peyton Watson remains out with a right hamstring strain, which thins the Denver perimeter defense behind Christian Braun. The rotation behind Jokic, Murray, Gordon, Braun, and Cameron Johnson is where this roster starts to look thin. If Gordon picks up two quick fouls again, the depth question gets exposed fast.
Prediction: Denver 117, Minnesota 111
The market has Minnesota at +6.5 on the spread, which feels roughly where it should sit given Game 1. The total is parked at 230.5, and that one feels a touch rich considering how both teams actually played. Game 1 landed at 221 combined points with both defenses locked in and Edwards compromised. Those numbers will positively regress for both sides, but not by 10 points combined.
Playoff pace historically strips a couple of possessions per game off regular season averages, and both defenses are dialed in for this series. Edwards won't be magically healed in 48 hours, and Jokic is happy to keep passing up looks to feed open shooters who went cold on Saturday. Gobert handled Jokic straight up for stretches in Game 1, which keeps Joker in distributor mode more than scorer mode.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets Best Bet
- Under 230.5 (-102) Click here to get the best odds at BetMGM Sportsbook
- Nikola Jokic Over 13+ Rebounds (+303) Click here to get the best odds at DraftKings Sportsbook
Our FairPlay AI likes Under 230.5 for Game 2. Game 1 landed at 221 with both defenses locked in and Edwards visibly compromised on one leg. Playoff basketball historically strips possessions off regular season pace, and neither team wants to run in a half-court physical slugfest like the one we saw Saturday. Both teams shot miserably from three after halftime on Saturday, but the defensive intensity this rivalry produces cancels a lot of that positive regression. Give me the Under with confidence on Monday night.
It also points to value on Nikola Jokic 13+ Rebounds. Joker has been a rebounding monster against the Wolves all year, averaging 15.0 boards per game across four regular season meetings. Gobert can bang with him physically, but Jokic's positioning and nose for the ball keep his volume elevated no matter who's defending him. At roughly -115 on most books, this line is sitting there waiting to get scooped before the market corrects.
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