Bucks vs. Timberwolves Odds
| Bucks Odds | -3.5 |
| Timberwolves Odds | +3.5 |
| Over/Under | 227 (-110/-110) |
| Time | 10 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
| Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NBA odds here. | |
We've got a border rivalry between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Milwaukee Bucks. Despite being on the road, the Bucks are favored as they are the last remaining unbeaten team in the league at 7-0.
With a few of the Timberwolves' starters questionable due to illness, it is going to be tough to get away from this Bucks juggernaut.
This line may change dramatically if players are ruled out, so make sure to monitor the news.
The Bucks (Even at Half Strength) Are Unstoppable
Starting the season 7-0 is very impressive, but what may be more shocking is that the Bucks have done so without All-Star forward Khris Middleton. Last season, Middleton was their second leading scorer with 20.1 points per game.
No Middleton, no problem. The Bucks have a winning margin of 11.3 points per game through their first seven games. The headline is obviously Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging a career-high 33.6 points per game and a 36.9% usage rate, which both rank second in the league behind Luka Doncic.
Over the past two seasons, Antetokounmpo has dominated the Timberwolves. Through four games, he is averaging 35.8 points, 14 rebounds and 6.3 assists while shooting an absurd 67.1% from the field. It will be a little different now that the Timberwolves have Rudy Gobert in the paint, but Antetokounmpo has had his fair share of good games against Gobert in recent years as well.
Not only has Middleton been out for every game, but so have role players Pat Connaughton and Joe Ingles. Point guard Jrue Holiday has stepped up in their absence and is averaging over 20 points per game for the first time since joining the Bucks. He's also adding 7.6 assists and 5.3 rebounds per night.
The most productive players rounding out this Bucks team are Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis. Lopez leads the league with a career-high three blocks per game and Portis is averaging a double-double for the first time in his career.
Everyone on this Bucks team has stepped up in their own way, but they go as Antetokounmpo does and he is on his way to another MVP award if he keeps playing like this.
Through their first eight games, the Timberwolves are playing at the fourth-fastest pace and allowing the second-most transition possessions in the league. Seeing Antetokounmpo in the open court sounds like a nightmare.
New-Look Timberwolves Are Unimpressive So Far
Trading a majority of your first-round picks for Rudy Gobert would be fun, they said. Well, the Timberwolves haven't had much fun to start the season. Despite having an easy schedule, they are 4-4 and are three-point home underdogs against Milwaukee.
The biggest concern for the Timberwolves is playing Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns together. When both are on the floor at the same time, the Wolves have a 103.9 Offensive Rating, which would be third worst in the league behind the Lakers and Clippers. Minnesota needs to stagger the Gobert-Towns minutes so D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards can have more room to operate.
Gobert has been fantastic on the glass and is gobbling up a league-high 14 rebounds a night. Towns has seen his rebound chances dip from 16.3 last year to 13.4 this season. That isn't a bad thing and may keep Towns healthier in the long run. However, Towns is a bit of a prima donna and hasn't been that productive on the offensive end, shooting a career-low 47.3% from the field.
Many expected a breakout season from Edwards. He leads the Timberwolves in points with 23.1 per game, but we are continuing to see inconsistencies from game to game. Even with a career-high 27.4% usage rate, Edwards has been boom or bust.
Russell has also been a loose cannon, shooting a career-low 39.4% from the field and 27.9% from behind the arc. Who knows which Timberwolves team will show up? Gobert and Edwards are late additions to the injury report (illness), which just adds to the question marks around this team.
Bucks-Timberwolves Pick
Betting on a talented home underdog is always intriguing, but the Timberwolves are tough to get behind, especially in this matchup. So, let's back the road favorite.
Rather than taking an angle with the total, I'm much more comfortable putting my money behind the best player in the league. Take the Bucks now and if Gobert and/or Edwards get ruled out, take them up to -5.
