Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Odds, Picks & Predictions - Game 6

A pair of Northwest Division squads continue their first-round series with a clash in the Twin Cities as the Denver Nuggets take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6 of their best-of-seven series Saturday night and we break down the Nuggets vs. Timberwolves matchup here. These teams opened their first-round series in Denver Saturday afternoon with the Nuggets picking up a 116-105 home victory. They covered the line as a seven-point favorite in that contest. Minnesota evened the series with a 119-114 road win Monday, winning outright as a 7.5-point underdog.

In Game 3, Minnesota stifled Denver, picking up a 113-96 win Thursday night at home. They easily covered the 1.5-point line in the contest. Minnesota followed up with a 112-96 win at home in Game 4 Saturday, winning outright as a 1.5-point underdog, for a 3-1 series lead. Denver staved off elimination with a 125-113 home win Monday night. Meanwhile, the Nuggets covered the line in that game as an 11.5-point favorite.

In the all-time playoff history between the teams, Minnesota has taken two of the three playoff series previously. Minnesota holds a 12-10 advantage in head-to-head playoff victories. Let’s break down this Nuggets vs. Timberwolves matchup.

Nuggets Shooting to Return Home for Game 7

Denver took the opener and then dropped three straight contests, putting their backs to the wall. The Nuggets came out swinging in Game 5 and, as a result, managed to earn the win at home. In Game 5, Denver never trailed over the final 46 minutes of the contest as their role players stepped up to contribute. The Nuggets now have to win at the Target Center if they want to force a winner take all Game 7 at the Ball Arena. Nikola Jokic paced the Nuggets with a triple-double with 27 points, 12 rebounds and 16 assists in the win.

In the postseason, Denver is 6th in the league in scoring offense with an average of 109.4 points per game this season. The Nuggets are 13th in rebounding by collecting 39.4 boards per contest. They are tied for 6th by dishing out an average of 24.6 assists a night. Denver stands tied for 13th in scoring defense as they give up an average of 112.4 points a night. Nikola Jokic is second on the team in scoring as he puts up 25.4 points, 14 rebounds and 9.4 assists a night this season. Jamal Murray (26 points, six assists) and Aaron Gordon (11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds) provide secondary scoring punch.

The Nuggets are 12th in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 43.3% from the floor. Denver is tied for 13th as they connect on 10 three-pointers a night. The team is 15th in the league as they knock down 30.1% of their attempts from beyond the arc. The Nuggets are 2nd in the league in free throw shooting as they cash in 82.7% of their attempts on the season.

Key Injury Report for Nuggets:

• Guard Peyton Watson (hamstring) is out.
• Forward Aaron Gordon (calf) is questionable.

Timberwolves Hoping to Close Things Out

Minnesota had a chance to close things out on the road in Game 5 only to fall short. Therefore, the Timberwolves get a second bite of the apple as they return home for this game. In Game 5, Minnesota led 3-0 and 6-4 early though they couldn’t maintain that edge. The Timberwolves trailed by five after the opening quarter, by nine at the half and by 22 after three quarters before cutting the margin in the final stanza. Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the loss. Minnesota turned the ball over 25 times, leading to 35 Denver points.

In the playoffs, Minnesota is 4th in the league in scoring offense with 112.4 points per game. The Timberwolves stand 4th in the league in rebounding by pulling down 46.6 boards a contest. They are 1st in assists by handing out 26 dimes a contest. Minnesota has been below average on the defensive end of the floor as they are 11th in scoring defense by allowing 109.4 points per game. Anthony Edwards is third on the team in scoring as he averages 18.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest. Julius Randle (19.4 points, eight rebounds) is a solid secondary scoring option. Ayo Dosunmu leads the team with 21.8 points per game.

The Timberwolves are tied for 6th in the league in field goal percentage as they hit 47% from the floor. Minnesota is 10th by splashing 11 three-pointers a night. They are 7th in three-point shooting by hitting 35.5% from beyond the arc. The Timberwolves are an above average team at the charity stripe. They are 5th by converting 78.2% of their attempts on the year.

Key Injury Report for Timberwolves:

• Guard Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) is out.
• Guard Anthony Edwards (knee) is out.

Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Prediction

Minnesota still has the upper hand in this series but their grip is weakening. The Timberwolves being victimized by the injury bug that cost them DiVincenzo and Edwards hampers them. Dosunmu was huge in Games 3 and 4 for Minnesota. He was limited to 18 points in Game 5 on seven of 14 shooting from the floor. The Timberwolves had to rely on Bones Hyland (23 minutes) and Terrence Shannon Jr. (14 minutes) in Game 5. That duo had seen 50 and seven minutes, respectively, in the series previously. Denver’s role players stepped up in Game 5. Expect them to step up again and deliver Denver a win to force Game 7.

Our Prediction: Nuggets -5.5 (BetMGM, -110)