It’s a midday game for the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves today. It is the third matchup this season between the division rivals with each team winning one game a piece. While the Nuggets are on a hot streak and look like a finals contender again, the Wolves haven’t enjoyed the same success. After trading Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle in the offseason Minnesota has been underwhelming to say the least. Even superstar Anthony Edwards hasn’t looked as dominant of a player. Still, there’s plenty of time to right the ship. The Nuggets will need a full four quarters of effort if they are going to get a win on the road.
The Essentials
Who: Denver Nuggets (28-16) at Minnesota Timberwolves (23-21)
When: 1PM MST.
Where: Where Budgets Go To Die Center. Minneapolis, MN.
How to watch/listen: Denver Stiffs does not condone piracy (and honestly, if you can’t get this game on your TV then I assume it’s unplugged). Altitude TV, Altitude+, ABC, ESPN+, Altitude Radio 92.5 FM.
Rival Blog: Canis Hoopus
The Matchup
| Position | Nuggets | Wolves | Advantage |
| PG | Jamal Murray | Mike Conley | Nuggets |
| SG | Russell Westbrook | Anthony Edwards | Wolves |
| SF | Christian Braun | Jaden McDaniels | Even |
| PF | Michael Porter Jr. | Julius Randle | Even |
| C | Nikola Jokic | Rudy Gobert | Nuggets |
| Bench | Aaron Gordon, Julian Strawther, DeAndre Jordan, Peyton Watson | Naz Reid, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Rob Dillingham, Joe Ingles | Even |
Injury report: Vlatko Cancar – out (knee), DaRon Holmes II – out (achilles), Trey Alexander – out (G-League), Spencer Jones – out (G-League); Anthony Edwards – questionable (illness), Donte DiVincenzo – out (toe), Terrence Shannon Jr. – out (foot), Jesse Edwards – out (G-League), Tristen Newton – out (G-League).
The Three Things
The thing to watch for: Who’s scoring the ball for Minnesota?
Edwards is questionable with an illness and has a shortened recovery/prep window due to the early tip. Even if he goes, how much energy will he have? Outside of Ant, it’s been a struggle to find consistent scoring for Minnesota (or at least…consistent efficient scoring). Donte DiVincenzo looked like the guy to fill up the scoreboard when he stepped into Minnesota’s starting lineup, but he’s now out indefinitely with a toe injury. Randle can always get hot, but he’s just as likely to hurt you with his volume as he is to help. Jaden McDaniels seems to have the most recent chance to increase his shot volume so look for Christian Braun or Russell Westbrook to stay glued to him.
The thing to remember: Minnesota isn’t great at home
The Wolves are a strange team. They’ve actually got a better record on the road than they do at home where they are just .500. They also haven’t been all that great against Denver at home either. They barely escaped with a victory at Target Center earlier this season and lost two out of three there against the Nuggets in the playoffs last year. The early start probably plays to Minnesota’s advantage since they get to sleep in their own beds, but the Nuggets also flew in early yesterday and should be well rested.
The thing to bet: Pass
I have a couple of rules I don’t like to sway from when it comes to sports betting, and one of those is I don’t bet NBA day games. Weird stuff happens in these games and they’re just too hard to predict for me.
