The Oklahoma City Thunder (45-10) and Minnesota Timberwolves (31-26) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 9:30 p.m. ET at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The game will broadcast live on ESPN.
The Thunder are 9.5-point favorites over the Wolves on the spread (Thunder -9.5), with the over/under set at 229.5 total points. Oklahoma City is a -375 favorite to win outright, while Minnesota is +295 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Thunder vs. Timberwolves predictions and NBA picks for Sunday, February 23.
Thunder vs. Timberwolves Picks, Prediction
Spread
My Timberwolves vs. Thunder best bet is on Minnesota to cover the spread as steep road underdogs, with the best line currently available at DraftKings. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
Over/Under
I'm staying away from the total in tonight's contest.
My Pick: Timberwolves +9.5
Thunder vs. Timberwolves Odds
| Thunder Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -110 | 229.5 -110 / -110 | -375 |
| Timberwolves Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -110 | 229.5 -110 / -110 | +295 |
- Thunder vs. Timberwolves spread: Thunder -9.5
- Thunder vs. Timberwolves over/under: 229.5 total points
- Thunder vs. Timberwolves moneyline: Thunder -375, Timberwolves +295
- Thunder vs. Timberwolves best bet: Timberwolves +9.5
Thunder vs. Timberwolves Preview
Rudy Gobert has been ruled out for this one, and that’s a massive blow for the Timberwolves' ability to protect the rim and push out the coverage vs. this Oklahoma City offense. However, without Gobert, the Wolves can play five-out.
Do you want a bonkers trend? Since trading for Rudy Gobert, the Wolves are 13-9 SU and 17-5 ATS without him in the lineup.
I’m not one that thinks that Gobert is overrated — well, not anymore, I’m not — and that he makes them worse, but it’s definitely clear the market overrates his value on the spread.
The Wolves just beat the Thunder before the break, so OKC is looking for revenge.
So far this season, the Thunder are an outrageous 13-2 SU and 12-3 ATS against teams where they lost the previous matchup.
But the Wolves have a dangerous combo, even without Gobert and Julius Randle. They’ll play through Naz Reid at small-ball five, open the wings up, and have better spacing. That kind of team, with their defensive tenacity, has a chance.
I’ll back the Wolves to once again hang, as I still make this Wolves +8 without Gobert.
I’ll also take Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for 35+ in a same game parlay combined with Wolves +9.5. The inverse correlation gets us to +475 at DraftKings.
The Wolves are turnover prone, and SGA averages 7.8 points off turnovers per game thanks to his deft stealing abilities (2nd in the NBA in steals per game). So, the Wolves hang just inside the number, but SGA puts on an MVP-caliber performance.
Best Bet: Timberwolves +9.5 (-110)
Same Game Parlay Picks
- Timberwolves +9.5
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 35+ Points
Parlay Payout: +475
Timberwolves vs. Thunder Betting Trends
