Mavericks Steal Game 1, Game 2 Must-Win for Wolves
Mavs vs Wolves Betting, Predictions, and More

Mavs vs Wolves Betting lines for Game 1 are out and the Timberwolves are Timberwolves -5.5, with a total set at 207. The Timberwolves are favorites to win the game straight up at -220 and the Mavericks are +180.
Game 1 between these was an absolute battle. The teams were within a few points for almost the entire game, but the Mavericks were the last to make a run, winning the game 108-105.
Minnesota’s two offensive stars, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns struggled from the field in the game. Edwards scored 19 points on 6-of-16 shooting, and Towns had 16 points on a rough 6-of-20 night.
Recent First Team All-Defense honoree, Jaden McDaniels, was the biggest bright spot for Minnesota on offense. McDaniels poured in a team-high 24 points and was a sniper from distance, going 6-of-9 from three-point land.
The Mavericks were, as always, led by their dynamic offensive backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Luka scored 33 points and had eight assists and six rebounds, while Kyrie put in 30 points as well.
Luka wasn’t all that efficient from the field, shooting 12-of-26. Kyrie on the other hand, who was only 0-of-3 from distance, shot an efficient 12-of-23 overall from the field.
Mavs vs Wolves betting tips will start by taking a look at the NBA betting lines and past NBA schedule as well as some player stats to determine what the best bets are for Game 2.
📍Location: Target Center, Minneapolis, MNDallas Mavericks vs Minnesota Timberwolves
⏰Day/Time: Friday, May 24th, 2024 8:30 PM ET
📺Television: TNT, TruTV, HBO/Max
Luka Can Do It All
He has been on the offensive NBA leaderboard for most of his NBA career. He was just named to his fifth (!) First Team All-NBA Team, and was crowned the NBA scoring champion for the first time this year. Luka is an offensive juggernaut who has been dominant since he entered the league at 19 years old.
Although Luka is known for his offensive mastery, it was his defense that sealed the deal on Wednesday night. Luka had two key steals late in the game against the Timberwolves, including a perfect defensive read to stop a Rudy Gobert lob with under two minutes left.
Luka finished the game with three steals and a block. In his last seven games in these NBA playoffs, Luka has had at least two steals in six of the seven games, and a block in four of the seven. If you can find decent odds for another 2+ steal Doncic performance, that is a bet worth looking into.
Luka Doncic with awesome defense then clutch offense on back to back possessions for the Dallas Mavericks pic.twitter.com/IKpgNLMuA7
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) May 23, 2024
Don’t Drop That…
Much of the conversation about the Timberwolves performance on Wednesday night was surrounded by their defensive scheme against Dallas’s dangerous pick-and-roll. The Timberwolves elected to use a drop coverage scheme with Rudy Gobert, and Dallas didn’t seem to mind it.
With pick-and-roll maestros like Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving leading the way for Dallas, they seemed completely comfortable attacking Gobert and probing the paint for mid-range looks.
The result of this defense was more midrange and points in the paint for Dallas, but a lackluster night from three-point range, going only 6-of-25 as a team.
We think Minnesota will adjust in Game 2, giving less space to attack off the pick and roll. This may mean slightly less playing time for Gobert. Gobert has gone under his points prop in two of his last eight games. We think if Minnesota decides to go for a more switch-heavy scheme on Friday, Gobert may get slightly less run, we like his points under to hit if that is the case.
Timberwolves Pick ‘n Roll coverage:
This was the first defensive possession of the game for Minnesota.
They initially “blitzed” the PnR with KAT, then went to a “drop” coverage with Gobert. Kat went with the “show and recover” as opposed to staying in the double team and… pic.twitter.com/4Zb1QrbHoj
— Jerico (@kyriemavs) May 23, 2024
Minnesota to Even Things Up
Mavs vs Wolves Betting lines for Game 1 are out and the Timberwolves are -5.5, with a total set at 207. The Timberwolves are favorites to win the game straight up at -220 and the Mavericks are +180.
The Timberwolves are now underdogs to win the series, with a series win price at +140 to the Dallas Mavericks price of -165. The Mavericks have also jumped the Timberwolves in odds to win the NBA Championship at +350 to the Wolves at +480.
We think the Timberwolves will come out Friday and even up the series 1-1 with a win in Minnesota. The spread of -5.5 is a little large for our taste at even money. The Timberwolves have been able to put on some incredible defensive performances these playoffs when facing elimination.
There is a possibility of Dallas feeling satisfied with stealing home court in Game 1 and getting blown out by a hungry Minnesota defense. Take a look at the odds for an alternate line of Minnesota -10 if you believe in the Timberwolves ability to bounce back.
For NBA odds, betting analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.