Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Betting Guide: 3 Player Props and Our Best Bet for Game 6
The NBA Playoffs continue tonight with a single game on tap as the Denver Nuggets try to finish off their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night in the Target Center at 8:30 p.m.
Denver is riding a three-game winning streak into the series. The Nuggets won both of their road contests against Minnesota last week, setting up their opportunity to return to the Western Conference Championship series for a second consecutive season.
Minnesota needs to defend their home-court advantage for the first time in this series to force a decisive Game 7 in Denver on Sunday. The T’wolves have lost two of the three games in this series by 15 or more points, leaving observers to believe Minnesota is fading into the sunset.
What players should bettors watch in this must-win matchup for Minnesota? In May, my predictions are nearly at 60 percent. Now, let’s cover my top three NBA Playoff player prop bets as well as our best bet for Thursday, May 16 below.
Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic UNDER 50.5 Pts + Reb + Ast
In the last meeting, Denver center Nikola Jokic received his MVP award for the third time in his career. Then he set about proving why he earned it, finishing the game with 40 points, 13 assists, seven rebounds, and two steals in his team’s 112-97 victory.
While bettors should expect Jokic to have his usually strong outing, savvy bettors will avoid this player combo prop bet. His last outing aside, Jokic has only produced an above-50 finish for this combo one other game in the series. Take the under for tonight’s outing.
Minnesota T’wolves’ Anthony Edwards OVER 29.5 Points
The Timberwolves have one last chance to force the series back to Denver, and Minnesota has played well in front of its home crowd. The northern squad was 30-11 in the regular season at the Target Center, and star Anthony Edwards has scored 26.0 points per game on his home court.
Tonight, bettors should expect much of the same. With the season on the line, Edwards will put up more than 20 shots on the evening and advance beyond the 30-point mark for the third time this series to cover this playoff player point prop bet.
Denver Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon OVER 6.5 Rebounds
With Jokic taking over on both ends of the court, it’s easy to overlook other starters who have found ways to help the team win. Defensively, the team has picked up their intensity and started forcing turnovers and winning the rebounding war to spur their team to three straight wins.
One example of this is 6-foot-8 power forward Aaron Gordon as he’s scoring more than four points above his season average in this series as well as dishing out nearly two more assists.
Tonight, however, expect Gordon to continue his dominance on the glass – 17 rebounds in the past two games – to cover this player rebound prop bet.
Best Bet: Denver +2.5 Points
While oddsmakers are favoring the home team, only once – the Game 5 victory for Denver – has the home team won in front of their raucous fans. Bettors should assume that the Nuggets want to win this series now and stay away from a winner-take-all game at home.
Further, Minnesota is punching above its weight this season. While Edwards has enjoyed a phenomenal season, this is the farthest a Timberwolves team has advanced since 2004.
I expect Denver to close out the series tonight and enjoy an extended rest before their Western Conference Championship series.
Ernie Horn
Sports Betting Contributor
Ernie is a 25-year veteran of the newspaper industry. He spent those early years working as a sports reporter and editor, but made the move back to the digital world in 2022. Ernie covers college football and NFL betting for Hello Rookie.