Suns Look to Set the Tone Early in Minnesota
Suns vs Timberwolves Lines, Matchup and More
Suns vs Timberwolves lines are Minnesota -1.5, total set at 214.
Although they enjoyed an incredible regular season, tiebreakers and late-season losses to both Denver and Phoenix dropped Minnesota into the third seed. Their reward is getting to play sixth-seed Phoenix.
Phoenix, who swung big last season and this offseason with their acquisitions of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, had a largely disappointing season. They narrowly escaped the Play-In Tournament, thanks to a nice three-game winning streak to finish the season, but health and lack of continuity put them far from the dominating season their fans hoped for.
Lucky for us we get a seven-game series between these two foes, a battle of offense and defense, established playoff veterans against a young up-and-coming core.
With Suns vs Timberwolves lines out we will take a look at the NBA playoff picture, and NBA betting picks and see what we can find for best NBA basketball bets today.
Suns vs Timberwolves 
Records: Phoenix Suns (49-33) at Minnesota Timberwolves (56-26)
Location: Target Center Minneapolis, MN
Day/Time: Streaming: ESPN
Conley for President
The Timberwolves will need some veteran leadership to calm their playoff jitters. Last season they put up an admirable fight against eventual champion Denver Nuggets, but expectations are much higher this year. The Timberwolves achieved their second-best record in franchise history, finished the season with the league’s best defense, and held that position for 157 of the 164 days of the regular season.
Minnesota’s defense will need to bring it on Saturday, but to keep up with Phoenix, they will need to score. Luckily for them, the return of Karl-Anthony Towns is exactly what the doctor ordered. KAT averaged 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists this season, but has only two games under his belt since returning from injury and played under 30 minutes in each.
Besides star Anthony Edwards’s explosive offensive abilities, the Wolves will likely look to veteran point guard, Mike Conley, for some offensive stability in this high-stakes game. Conley averaged 12.0 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.0 in his three games against the Suns this season, and has averaged 14.2 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in his last five games. Conley has gone over his points prop for four games straight. We expect the playoff atmosphere to bring the best out of Conley, so check out his points prop on Saturday for some possible value.
TIMBERWOLVES PLAYOFF HYPE VID pic.twitter.com/SZbFCLg2wO
— The Daily Wolves (@TheDailyWolves) April 17, 2024
McDaniels Tough Assignment
The Suns have the offensive firepower to match up with Minnesota’s elite defense. Their three-headed scoring trio of Durant, Booker, and Beal have a combined scoring average of over 72 points per game. Minnesota has the defense to handle that kind of production, but they likely won’t be able to keep each star under control.
In the past Minnesota has chosen to put their energy towards trying to stop Kevin Durant from scoring big. They’ve matched him up at times with defensive star Jaden McDaniels, and in his last four games against the Timberwolves Durant has only averaged 21.0 points per game, he averages 27.1 points a game this season. Durant only scored 15 points in the Sun’s game against Minnesota last week and has seen his scoring decline over the last few games. Durant has gone under his scoring prop in four of his last six games, and if Minnesota decides to key in on him once again Saturday, we could see him hitting the under.
Suns May Surprise Minnesota
Suns vs Timberwolves lines are Minnesota -1.5, total set at 214.
In their last matchup, the Suns dominated from the start, building a massive 22-point lead by the end of the first quarter, and eventually winning the game 125-106. Bradley Beal led the way for Phoenix with a scorching hot performance, hitting all 6 of his three-point attempts to finish with 36 points. Devin Booker (23 points) and Grayson Allen (20 points) chipped in with strong offensive contributions as well. The Timberwolves were unable to close the gap throughout the game and never had enough offensive firepower to match Phoenix.
This game was no surprise to those who have followed the Suns and Timberwolves matchups over the last few years. The Suns have won 13 of their last 15 games against Minnesota and won all three matchups this season. Phoenix has also gone 9-1 against the spread in their last ten matchups with the Wolves. Although Minnesota has proved they are a different type of team this year, the Sun’s history and veteran playoff experience may give them an edge on Saturday.
Suns vs Timberwolves Betting Odds
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