Wembanyama, Spurs Look to Spring Upset Against Timberwolves
Spurs vs Timberwolves Odds: Minnesota Opens as 13.5-Pt Favorite
Victor Wembanyama is undoubtedly fantastic. The San Antonio Spurs? Not so much.
The Spurs — projected for 28.5 regular-season wins — own the third-worst record in the NBA. There is no sugarcoating that.
Amidst this difficult season, the Spurs have yet another challenge ahead. Tuesday (8 p.m. ET) they visit the Minnesota Timberwolves, who own a share of the Western Conference’s best record. Unsurprisingly, Minnesota is a big favorite, opening -13.5 on the spread and -1050 on the moneyline. Coversely, the Spurs are +675 to win outright. Meanwhile, the projected total opened at 224.
10.5 on the spread and -500 on the moneyline. Conversely, the Spurs are +390 to win outright.
What can bettors expect? Read on as we break down both teams and assess the Spurs vs Timberwolves odds in our NBA game preview.
San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves 
Date, time:
Location: Target Center; Minneapolis
Betting Trends
The San Antonio Spurs are 27-31 ATS, including 15-17 away from home. San Antonio has fared slightly better against the Over/Under, going 28-28-2. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves are 30-26-1 ATS, including 14-11-1 at home. Minnesota has gone Under the total in 29 of its 57 games.
Be sure to remember these betting trends when analyzing the Spurs vs Timberwolves odds.
At Least There’s Wemby
Despite the emergence of No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio has largely struggled. Losers of four straight and 11 of their last 12 games, the Spurs sit last place in the Western Conference at 11-47. Their .190 win percentage is better than only two teams: Washington (.158), Detroit (.143).
The Spurs are coming off a 128-109 loss to Utah on Sunday in which they committed 20 turnovers and failed to cover as 7-point underdogs. As such, the Spurs dropped to 4-8 ATS over their last 12 games.
One of the lone bright spots is the 20-year-old Wembanyama. The French phenom has lived up to the immense hype, averaging 20.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and an NBA-best 3.3 blocks. Wembanyama is already the first player in league history to record 150 blocks, 150 assists and 75 3-pointers in a single season. He is now an overwhelming -750 favorite to win Rookie of the Year, ahead of Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren (+550).
Even with a 7-foot-4 shot blocker defending the paint, defense remains a glaring weakness for San Antonio. The Spurs rank bottom five in the NBA in practically every key defensive statistic, including opponents’ scoring (120.7, 26th). They have given up at least 120 points in five of their last seven games. In their last game against Utah, the Jazz shot 51.1% from the field and connected on 17 3-pointers.
Ironically, despite those issues, the Spurs have gone Under the total in 11 of their last 14 games and are just 28-28-2 against the Over/Under on the season. That includes 13-17-2 on the road. Keep that in mind when assessing the Spurs vs Timberwolves odds.
T’Wolves in Fight for First
Winners of five of their last six, the Timberwolves now share the best record in the Western Conference (40-17) with Oklahoma City. While the Timberwolves hold a 1.5-game lead on defending NBA champion Denver, only 2.5 games separate the conference’s top four seeds. That should make for an exciting NBA playoff schedule.
For what it’s worth, Denver remains favored to win the West at +245. Even the Clippers (+250) and Thunder (+800) have shorter odds than Minnesota (+850). The Timberwolves are also +2000 to win the NBA Finals, one of seven teams priced 20/1 or better.
Minnesota is coming off a 101-86 victory over Brooklyn on Saturday in which Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 57 points. The Timberwolves, 7.5-point favorites, improved to 5-1 ATS over their last six games.
Edwards and Towns have been an explosive duo for Minnesota. One of the two has been the Timberwolves’ top scorer in 52 of their 57 games. As a team, the Timberwolves are shooting 39.1% from 3. Only the Thunder (39.8) and Clippers (39.3) have been more efficient from deep.
Defense, however, remains Minnesota’s biggest strength. Opponents are averaging a league-low 106.4 points. The Timberwolves also lead the league in opponents’ field goal percentage (44.5) and rank 11th in rebounding (44.1). Three of their last five opponents have scored 100 points or fewer.
Minnesota is 30-26-1 ATS, including 14-11-1 at home. However, it is just 5-6 ATS when the spread hits double digits.
Handicapping the Game
This is the fourth and final meeting between the teams on the NBA schedule. Minnesota won 117-110 on Nov. 10 and 102-94 on Dec. 6 while San Antonio returned the favor 113-112 on Jan. 27.
In the last matchup, the Spurs overcame a 12-point halftime deficit behind 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists from Wembanyama. Devin Vassell added 25 points. Minnesota had a rare off night defensively, allowing 13 3-pointers and 54.8% shooting.
This game, however, is in Minnesota, where the Timberwolves are an unmistakable 20-6. That does not bode well for the Spurs, Wembanyama and all.
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