Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Prediction The Minnesota Timberwolves are not expected to have Karl-Anthony Towns again on Tuesday night when they visit the Denver Nuggets at 10:30 p.m. ET. Will they have enough firepower to cover as a big road underdog? Game Snapshot 543 Minnesota Timberwolves at 544 Denver Nuggets 10:30 p.m. ET, Tuesday, March 12, 2019 Pepsi Center, Denver, CO Our NBA Live Odds page pulls spreads and totals from multiple different online sportsbooks so you can compare betting odds to ensure you’re getting the best line. Public Betting Trends According to oddsmakers from online sportsbook BetNow.eu, the Nuggets are 10-point favorites to beat the Timberwolves. The total, meanwhile, sits at 227 points and as of this writing, 61% of the public betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Timberwolves to cover the point spread. Minnesota Timberwolves Fantasy Spin Luol Deng (Achilles) will not suit up for Tuesday's game against the Nuggets. Achilles issues are nothing to mess with, and with the Timberwolves not a factor in the postseason hunt, there's zero incentive to rush him back to the court. Josh Okogie and Keita Bates-Diop will continue to see some increased opportunity in Deng's absence, with Bates-Diop offering a bit more upside. Denver Nuggets Fantasy Spin Nikola Jokic made just 5-of-10 from the field for 16 points during a 122-105 loss to the Warriors on Friday, adding six rebounds, four assists, four steals, one block and one 3-pointer in 29 minutes. The Warriors continue to really limit Denver when Jokic is on the floor with Jokic's -29 in this loss. In the previous two, he only had a -22.3 net rating, so that could be something to watch in a playoff matchup. It'll be a while until we see that and Jokic has been an absolute star in fantasy. He has one more week of a subpar schedule, then Jokic's 4-4-4 after that could help lead to fantasy titles. NBA Betting Trends Minnesota The Timberwolves failed to cover the spread in all four of their previous four road games. Denver The Nuggets are 8-3 against the spread in their last 11 home games. Prediction This is too many points. The Timberwolves are 17-5 against the spread in their last 22 games in Denver. The road team is also 39-12-1 against the number in the last 52 meetings between these two teams while the underdog cashed in 20 of the previous 26 meetings in this series. Finally, Minnesota is 5-0 against the spread in its last five games versus Western Conference opponents. Tuesday NBA Prediction: Minnesota Timberwolves +10<doc-sep>The Denver Nuggets are currently in desperate need of a win with the second seed in the Western Conference up for grabs. Losers of 4 out of their last 5 games, the Nuggets will be seeking their 44th win of the season against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. And they really need to win this one. After a resurgent victory last week against the Lakers, their 3-game losing streak came to a halt, seemingly for a while based on the strength of the victory over the LA team. However, they were blown out by the one seed Warriors Friday night in a game that was never within reach for the Colorado team. It was a pretty disappointing night for basically everybody except Monte Morris and Torrey Craig, who registered his second career double-double. If the Nuggets want to remain in control of the 2 seed, they will need a victory against the Timberwolves at home. The Rockets are currently surging, winners of their last 9 games, and sit just 2 games behind Denver at the moment. With just 17 games remaining in the regular season, it is games like these that the Nuggets must win to secure home advantage in the first leg series. Luckily, the Nuggets have a lot of things working in their favor. The team currently has the second-best home record in the NBA and the best in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves have lost 25 away games this season, tied for the 6th most in the league. The Wolves will also be missing Robert Covington and Luol Deng, and Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins are both questionable to play. That is probably why Denver is currently 10-point favorites to win the matchup, according to Fanduel. While the Nuggets are heavy favorites to win the game, it won’t be a shoo-in. Here are the keys to a Nuggets’ victory. (Note: All stats via Basketball-Reference or NBA.com unless otherwise noted.)<doc-sep>As the Denver Nuggets looked to bounce-back from a tough road trip, it turns out that all they needed was a little home cooking. The Nuggets led throughout the majority of a 133-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Ball movement was the story in the win, as Denver finished with 40 assists. The Nuggets also used strong 3-point shooting (18-30) to maintain their lead throughout the second half. “After the last couple of days, with the film sessions harping on ball movement, being selfless and playing for each other, for us to get 40 assists, it was refreshing and fun to watch,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said after the team’s strong offensive performance. The two teams battled to a draw for most of the first quarter. Nikola Jokić was active offensively, posting 4 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in the first five minutes of the game. Denver (44-22) won the battle inside in the quarter, posting 20 points in the paint. Denver also moved the ball offensively, racking up 11 assists in the first quarter alone. The Nuggets’ strong play inside coupled with their active defense allowed them to take a 31-20 lead into the second quarter. The Nuggets ended the quarter on a 7-0 run and held Minnesota (32-36) to just 31.8 percent shooting from the field. The Timberwolves began cutting into the deficit to start the second quarter, using a 12-5 run in the early stages of the quarter to get within single digits. After Minnesota got within four points midway through the quarter, Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokić responded with consecutive baskets. The Nuggets continued to move the ball, finishing with ten assists in the quarter and 21 in the first half. The Timberwolves built an advantage on the offensive glass as they worked on cutting the deficit, but the Nuggets continued to respond with timely baskets to keep a double-digit lead at the half, 58-48. As the Timberwolves worked to get back into the game, Jamal Murray came alive to start the second half, scoring seven points in the first three minutes of the quarter. The scoring run from Murray appeared to energize the rest of the team, as Denver went on a 9-0 run to grab a commanding 17-point lead midway through the quarter. However, Minnesota responded with an 8-0 run of their own to cut the lead to nine points. Paul Millsap responded by hitting two consecutive 3-pointers, bringing the lead back up to 12 for Denver. The Nuggets would extend the lead up to 16 points by the end of the quarter, as Millsap knocked down a half-court shot at the buzzer. Denver knocked down seven 3-pointers in the quarter and finished with eight assists in the third frame as ball movement continued to be an emphasis. “It felt great (to move the ball). We really responded to the film, where coach pointed out some zero-pass and one-pass possessions. I thought we did a better job of sharing it tonight,” Nuggets center Mason Plumlee expressed after posting eight assists in the win. “I always like having the ball, so I’m happy to make plays when I get it.” The Nuggets built their lead up to 19 points after the first four minutes of the final quarter. A layup from Nikola Jokić and 3-pointers from Torrey Craig and Monte Morris gave Denver a strong hold of the game. Minnesota followed Denver’s run with a quick 6-0 response of their own, as the Nuggets committed a turnover on three consecutive possessions. After a quick timeout, Denver responded with an 8-2 run, highlighted by 3-pointers from Gary Harris and Jamal Murray. With four minutes remaining in the game, Denver led 118-95 as both teams brought in bench reserves to close the game. Jamal Murray led the way for the Nuggets with 30 points on 10-16 shooting from the field. Paul Millsap (23 points), Nikola Jokić (18), Monte Morris (16) and Gary Harris (12) were the other players in double-figures for Denver. The Timberwolves were led by Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 34 points and 10 rebounds. Tyus Jones (16 points), Cameron Reynolds (12) and C.J. Williams (11) were the other players in double-figures for Minnesota. The Nuggets are back in action on Thursday when they host the Dallas Mavericks. That game will also tip at 8:30 p.m. MT and will be broadcasted on TNT.<doc-sep>
The Denver Nuggets will look to bounce back when they begin a three-game home stand against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. Denver (43-22) is coming off a 1-2 road trip and is just 1-4 in its last five games. The Nuggets have been a very strong defensive team since the All-Star break, owning the league’s second-ranked defense during that stretch. Their offense has stagnated in recent weeks, ranking just 19th in the league since returning from the break. Minnesota (32-35) heads into the matchup having won two straight and three of its past five games. Karl-Anthony Towns has been the standout performer for Minnesota, averaging 35.1 points, 14.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game since the All-Star break. Towns is shooting 59.3 percent from the field and 49 percent on 3-pointers during that stretch. Denver won the first two matchups in the season series, with both games being decided by two points or less. The two teams have split the last six games in the series. Here are some keys to the game: Playing “Nuggets basketball”: After Denver returned from last week’s road trip, head coach Michael Malone stressed the importance of getting back to playing Nuggets basketball, which starts with strong ball movement on offense. "When we win, we play a certain brand of basketball. With 17 games to go, and 11 of those 17 against teams that are .500 or better, we can't afford to deviate from that,” Malone said after practice on Monday. Denver is 30-11 this season when they record at least 27 assists in a game and 51-13 since Malone took over as head coach when they record at least 30 assists in a game. Relying on strong defense: Despite Denver’s struggles on offense since the All-Star break, the team’s defense has been a stabilizing presence. Having a healthy starting lineup for the first time in months has done wonders for Denver’s defense. Gary Harris and Paul Millsap have become a formidable duo on the defensive end, which will be key for the Nuggets as they continue to iron out some kinks on the offensive end. Going back to Nikola Jokić: Denver’s All-Star big man has attempted just 15 shots over the past two games combined. “We've got to get him (Jokić) the ball more. Something good happens when he touches it. He's going to score, he's going to find the open man, he's going to draw a foul or a double team, and good things will happen.” Tonight’s game will be a late tip at 8:30 p.m. MT and will air on TNT. Fans can listen on Altitude Radio, 92.5 FM.