The Timberwolves face the Nuggets in Game 5 of the NBA Playoffs, leading the series 3-1. Minnesota will be without Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, while Denver's Aaron Gordon is questionable due to injury.
Key points
Timberwolves lead the series 3-1 against the Nuggets
Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo are out for Minnesota
Aaron Gordon is questionable for Denver due to injury
Timberwolves' defense has stifled Nuggets' offense
The Minnesota Timberwolves head into Ball Arena tonight for a pivotal Game 5 with a chance to eliminate the Denver Nuggets and advance to the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. After dismantling Denver in consecutive home games to take a 3-1 series lead, Minnesota has successfully stifled the Nuggets' offense, holding them to under 100 points in three of the four games so far. Added to the tension of it being an elimination game is the fact tonightâs game comes one game after Nikola JokiÄ and Julius Randle were ejected after a late-game altercation.
The task of eliminating Denver, however, is a tall one. The Timberwolves will be without their starting backcourt as their superstar, Anthony Edwards (knee) and his running mate Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) have been declared out of tonightâs game. Minnesota will look to Ayo Dosunmu to replicate his heroic Game 4 performance, where he stepped in for the injured Edwards and scored a career-high 43 points in 42 minutes to keep the Nuggets at bay.
The Nuggets are dealing with their own significant health concerns. Key "connector" Aaron Gordon is officially questionable with persistent left calf tightness that clearly limited his explosiveness and minutes in the previous game. Without Gordon at full strength and already missing Peyton Watson (hamstring), the Nuggets will need to work all the harder to attack the Timberwolves with more than just Jokic and Jamal Murray.
Because of the absence of Edwards and the fact Game 5 is in Denver, though, the Nuggets take the court as favorites. To force a Game 6, Denver must find a way to crack the Timberwolves' tenacious defense while of course capitalizing on the absence of Anthony Edwards.
Q&A
What are the key injuries for the Timberwolves in Game 5 against the Nuggets?
The Timberwolves will be without Anthony Edwards due to a knee injury and Donte DiVincenzo due to an Achilles injury.
How has the Timberwolves' defense performed in the playoff series against the Nuggets?
The Timberwolves have held the Nuggets to under 100 points in three of the four games in the series.
What do the Timberwolves need to do to eliminate the Nuggets in Game 5?
The Timberwolves need to maintain their strong defensive performance and capitalize on the absence of key players for the Nuggets.
Why are the Nuggets considered favorites in Game 5 against the Timberwolves?
The Nuggets are favored due to the Timberwolves missing their star player, Anthony Edwards, and the game being played in Denver.
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Lets take a closer look at tonightâs matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Timberwolves vs. Nuggets
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Game Odds: Timberwolves vs. Nuggets
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy ofDraftKings:
Anthony Edwards (knee) has been declared OUT of tonightâs game
Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) has been declared OUT of tonightâs game
Denver Nuggets
Aaron Gordon (calf) is questionable for tonightâs game
Peyton Watson (hamstring) has been declared OUT of tonightâs game
Important stats, trends and insights: Timberwolves vs. Nuggets
The Timberwolves are 24-19 on the road this season
The Nuggets are 29-14 at home this season
The Nuggets are 45-41 ATS this season
Minnesota is 40-46 ATS this season
The OVER has cashed in 53 of the Nuggetsâ 86 games this season (53-33)
The OVER has cashed in 38 of the Timberwolvesâ 84 games this season (38-48)
Ayo Dosunmu averaged 14.8 points per game during the regular season but is now leading the Timberwolves through 4 games of the postseason averaging 22.8 points per game
Rudy Gobert is averaging 11.0 rebounds per game in this series after grabbing 27 in the 2 games in Minneapolis
Julius Randle is averaging 7.8 rebounds per game in this series
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonightâs Timberwolves and Nuggets game:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Timberwolves +11.5 ATS
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 222.5
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