After two straight postseason appearances for the first time in 20 years, the Minnesota Timberwolves will aim to improve upon consecutive first-round exits. Timberwolves odds to win the franchise’s first NBA title are listed at +7500.
Things didn’t go quite as planned in Rudy Gobert’s first season with the team. He and fellow big man, Karl-Anthony Towns struggled to connect offensively and Minnesota finished 23rd in offensive rating. Towns also missed two-thirds of the season with a calf strain, delaying his ability to build chemistry with Gobert and rising star Anthony Edwards.
Minnesota Timberwolves odds
View Minnesota Timberwolves odds below, including moneyline, point spreads, and totals for their next game.
View Timberwolves NBA title odds below.
Timberwolves roster
Additions: Troy Brown Jr. (signed), Shake Milton (signed), Leonard Miller (draft)
Subtractions: Taurean Prince (free agent), Austin Rivers (free agent), Jaylen Nowell (free agent)
Here is the current Minnesota Timberwolves roster.
Timberwolves 2023-24 Schedule
The Timberwolves have opened the 2023-24 regular season. Here is Minnesota’s complete schedule.
Who is the best player on the Timberwolves?
Will Karl-Anthony Towns, aka KAT, enjoy a significant NBA Playoff run before he plays his final game in a Timberwolves uniform? Where does he rank among the all-time players in franchise history?
So far, the answer to the first question remains iffy. Since the T-Wolves selected the former NBA Rookie of the Year with the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the team has enjoyed just two winning seasons (this year could be the third) and two postseason appearances – both of which ended in a first-round exit. Unlike with Steph Curry in Golden State and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the supporting cast has been lacking. Injuries continue to be a major issue this season.
When healthy, there is no question Towns is one of the best players ever to wear a Timberwolves uniform. KAT owns the franchise single-game record for most points scored with 60. It happened during the 2021-22 season. Towns is closing in on 12,000 career points. He is still averaging 20.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. Despite the lack of success in the win column, Karl-Anthony Towns continues to make a strong case to be listed among the Timberwolves greatest players of all time.
Anthon Edwards, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, is another key player on the T-Wolves roster as he averaging 24.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per contest.
Timberwolves props
Check out our FREE props tool below to help you find the best NBA odds at all of the US sportsbooks.
Timberwolves 2022-23 season recap
Sportsbooks had Minnesota projected to win over/under 48.5 games at the start of the 2022-23 season. Heading into the final week, the T-Wolves had a 39-40 with games against the Brooklyn Nets, San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans remaining. It means those under bets are winners since the best they can finish is 42-40.
But thanks to the NBA play-in tournament, Minnesota still makes the postseason as even a ninth or 10th seed. This is four teams in both the Eastern and Western conferences face each other to determine the seven and eight seeds in both conferences. Sort of like the NCAA Tournament does with the First Four Games – win one or two games and you advance. The No. 9 and 10 seeds will play one another with the winner moving on to face the loser of 7 vs. 8 game. The winner secures the conference’s No. 8 seed and opens the playoffs in a seven-game series versus the top seed.
How to bet on the Timberwolves
Moneyline
Moneyline is the sports betting lingo for picking the straight-up winner with no points involved. Here is a detailed explanation of what is a moneyline.
To give you a better idea of how a moneyline bet works, let’s look back at the recent game between the Timberwolves and Trailblazers.
- Timberwolves -2000
- Trail Blazers +1000
Even though these odds are larger than a typical NBA game, the numbers show Minnesota took the court as a heavy favorite as a result of having the “-” in front of their number. The Trail Blazers were the underdogs based on the “+” symbol. Before we touch on how this game played out, a $100 bet on the Timberwolves to win would earn the bettor a $5 profit on top of the $100 being returned.
Now if you were to put that same $100 on Portland to win, the payout would be $1,000 plus the $100 bet back. This is the perfect example of how lopsided odds are never guaranteed winner as the Trail Blazers won the game, 107-105.
Point Spread
Using the same game, here are what is what the point spread looked like prior to tip:
Timberwolves -19.5 (-110)
Trail Blazers +19.5 (-110)
What these numbers show us is the sportsbooks saw this game being a double-digit blowout win for Minnesota. And it made sense with Portland being battered by injuries and eliminated from the postseason while Minnesota was trying to secure a playoff seed. Anybody who bet Minnesota “-19.5” needed the team to win by at least 20 points to cash their tickets.
Others said “I am not comfortable laying that many points” and decided to take Portland +19.5 instead. They enjoyed much better result. The -110 right next to the odds is the “vig” or how sportsbooks make money. So no matter which side of this NBA game you decide to play, this is essentially the small fee for placing the bet. The payout for a $100 bet on the Trail Blazers +19.5 was $190.91 (win $90.91 plus your initial $100 bet).
Point Total (Over/Under)
With a total points wager, you’re betting on the final score of a game or match. This is often referred to as the an over under. Sportsbooks set lines for every game, and you must decide which side of that number the total will land. Say the Timberwolves are playing the Brooklyn Nets and the total is set at 215 points, and the final score ends up being 110-108 for 218 points, then over bettors would win. However, if the final score is 105-103 or 208 points, then the under would win.
Live Betting
Unlike horse racing where all bets must be made prior to post time, there are endless betting opportunities once a NBA game tips off. You will notice the point spread and moneyline shift throughout the game. Say the T-Wolves open a 3.5-favorite. As the second half begins, Minnesota is trailing by 12 points and are suddenly underdogs. If you think the team will regain the momentum and turn things around, this is an alternative strategy, especially if those pregame bets are not looking good. Instead of laying 3.5 points, the you might be able to find the Timberwolves +5.5. There is usually a very small window to take advantage of the line shift so don’t spend too much time pondering the decision.
The same theory can be applied to the in-game moneyline. Many bettors are not going to touch a moneyline of -1000 or higher due to the amount of money required to make a significant profit. However, if that unattractive line significantly drops, it might be a live betting opportunity. This method is considered “hedging” or a way to recover a potential losing bet placed before tip-off.
These are the simple live betting opportunities. Who will score the next basket or what will the result of the next play be are just a couple of other possibilities. The advantage with many in-game bets is you will not need to wait until the game is over to cash that winning ticket.
Parlays and Teasers
Parlays and Teasers are a way to connect multiple different bets together with the potential a larger payout. However, the catch is each selection or leg of your bet must be a winner. If there are several NBA games you are looking to bet, a parlay is the way to do it. There can be as little as two legs or wagers to 10 or more. The possibilities are endless and it can be a combination of the different bets mentioned above.
Here is one example of a potential parlay going with the moneyline in three different games (the odds will jump as a result of the multiple legs):
- Timberwolves over Nets -110
- Celtics over 76ers +120
- Kings over Pelicans +140
The NBA odds for this 3-leg parlay jump to +908. This means if you were to wager $25 on this three-team parlay and all of the legs end up being winners, the total payout would be $252 – $227 win plus the initial $25 bet is returned. But if the 76ers lost to the Celtics while the Timberwolves and Kings win, you would lose.
Teasers give you the option of moving the point spread in a direction that is more favorable to you as a bettor. The catch is sportsbooks charge a small fee to move that line. Say Minnesota is pick ’em versus the Nets. After blowing the game against Portland, you might prefer taking Minnesota +2.5 points. The alternative spreads can be found when clicking on a specific game. The point spread may have odds of -115, but if you decide to buy the extra 2.5 points, the odds might move to -165. However, if you’re extremely confident the T-Wolves are going to blow out the Nets, another option is going in the opposite direction and bet Minnesota -2.5. This shifts the odds in the neighborhood of +100 or even money.
Futures
Futures are exactly what they sound like – betting on a regular season champion or award months before the winner is decided. This could be anything from Minnesota regular-season win total to Gobert winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Betting on which team will win the NBA finals also falls under this category. The Timberwolves odds to make the NBA playoffs falls under the futures category as well.
Timberwolves History
The Minnesota Timberwolves made their NBA debut prior to the 1989-90 season as an expansion team. They joined the Western Conference while the Orlando Magic was added to the Eastern Conference. The team’s first win came against the Philadelphia 76ers. However, the T-Wolves have yet to bring an NBA Championship to the Twin Cities. Through the 2021-22 season, Minnesota has made the postseason 10 times over 34 seasons. Nine of those times they were eliminated in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
The 2003-04 season is regarded as the best in Timberwolves history as they finished the regular season with a 58-24 record and made the Western Conference finals. Minnesota lost the series 4-2 to a Los Angeles Lakers team that included Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. The Minnesota Timberwolves were led by Kevin Garnett, arguably one of the best all-time players in league history. KG’s 19,201 points in a Timberwolves uniform puts him No. 1 on the team’s all-time scoring list. Garnett was a member of the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame class.
In April 2021, former MLB star Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, Walmart’s former e-commerce CEO, purchased the Timberwolves. They now own 40% of the team.
FAQ
Who is the NBA title favorite?
The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics have the shortest NBA championship odds.
What are the odds that the Timberwolves are going to win the championship this year?
The Timberwolves odds to win the 2024 NBA Title are .
How likely are the Timberwolves to make the playoffs?
The Timberwolves opened the 2023-24 regular season with -139 odds to make the NBA Playoffs at BetRivers. That amounts to an implied probability of 58.2%.
Who owns the Minnesota Timberwolves?
Former MLB All-Star Alex Rodriguez and businessman Marc Lore are in the process of becoming majority owners of the Timberwolves.