Spurs and Timberwolves Start Three-Game Series On Monday

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Keldon Johnnson and Anthony Edwards will be a match-up to watch between the Spurs and Timberwolves.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 14: Anthony Edwards #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves plays defense on Keldon Johnson #3 of the San Antonio Spurs during the game on March 14, 2022 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)

Don’t look now, but the San Antonio Spurs aren’t rolling over for anyone. Just three games into the season, San Antonio (2-1) has won consecutive games against the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers. On Monday night, they’ll play their first game of the season in the Western Conference on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1). The two teams will become very familiar with each other over the next week with three contests in seven days between the Spurs and Timberwolves.

Watch the Spurs and Timberwolves Game

Spurs and Timberwolves Betting Odds*

*Odds subject to change.

  • Moneyline: Timberwolves (-435) |  Spurs (+350)
  • Over/Under: 230.5
  • Spread: Timberwolves (-9.5)

Over the last two seasons, the Timberwolves have dominated the series between the squads winning four of the last six. They swept San Antonio in the series 3-0 in 2021, winning by an average of 13 points per game. Minnesota has spent the better part of the last four seasons stuck near the bottom of the NBA before breaking reaching the playoffs last season. This week will be the only time the Spurs and Timberwolves play this season, pending any potential play-in or playoff games.

Minnesota Timberwolves Preview

Picking at the top of the draft in recent years, the Timberwolves are loaded with top-end talent. Leading the team are former first-overall selections Anthony Edwards (2020) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2015). This summer, they traded away four future first-round selections, five players, and a future pick-swap to the Utah Jazz for center Rudy Gobert to create a sizeable front-court. Oh yeah, and they have D’Angelo Russell.

Their only loss on the season came on Saturday as Minnesota fell in overtime to a motivated Jazz team 132-126 despite 57 points combined from Towns and Edwards. The Timberwolves committed a whopping 20 turnovers and allowed Utah to shoot 40 percent from beyond the arc. Minnesota themselves have struggled from the perimeter averaging just 29 percent.  Last year’s three-point contest champion, Town is shooting just above 30 percent from deep on the season.

San Antonio Spurs Preview

Before the season, the Spurs were projected to win around 23 games all year. If you’re holding a betting slip for the under, you may be sweating a bit right now as San Antonio is just 21 wins away in this young season from tying that mark. After suffering a 27-point blowout loss to the Charlotte Hornets on opening night, the team has found its shooting, following the lead of rising talents Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell. The duo has combined for more than 40 points in each of the Spurs’ wins. San Antonio is averaging 48 percent from deep

Going into Monday’s game, it would be reasonable to factor the Spurs out against the Timberwolves, given the talent and size disparity. That was before they handled the Sixers, however. Jakob Poeltl pulled down 12 rebounds, seven on the offensive end, going up against perennial MVP candidate Joel Embiid. If San Antonio can continue to stay hot from beyond the arc, they could steal the first game of the season series. Having Sunday off, they’ll likely be the more fresh team as Minnesota has played three consecutive days, closing the weekend against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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