San Antonio will look to extend its two-game winning streak when it travels to Minnesota on Monday night. The Spurs were knocked out by Charlotte in their season opener, but bounced back with back-to-back wins over the Pacers and 76ers. Minnesota has won two of its first three games, including a 116-106 win over Oklahoma City on Sunday.
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Spurs emerge from a huge upheaval
San Antonio entered the season expected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA due to being the youngest roster in the league and trading their star guard from last year. Spurs played the role in their opener, blowing out in a 109-102 final against Charlotte last Wednesday. They bounced back with a pair of impressive performances over the weekend, knocking out Indiana and Philadelphia in back-to-back road games. San Antonio was a 1.5-point underdog in its 137-134 win over the Pacers and a 13.5-point underdog in its 114-105 win over Philadelphia.
Solid display of @Tre3Jones in Philadelphia 🫡
17 SPT | 4 ASD pic.twitter.com/ggT0dfKgwO
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 23, 2022
Doug McDermott hit four 3-pointers and scored his 14 second-half points in the win over the 76ers. Meanwhile, shooter Devin Vassell had 22 points on a 9-of-14 effective shooting percentage from the field. Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid had 40 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a 32.3 percent shooting percentage from beyond the arc as a team. The Spurs enter this game ranked tenth in the NBA offensively, averaging 117.7 points per game. They lost star guard Dejounte Murray in the offseason, but they were able to get over that trade. Their defense has been surprisingly poor, however, ranked No. 28 in runs allowed (122.7).
Timberwolves on backend back to back
Minnesota is playing an interesting schedule to open the season. The Timberwolves have faced Oklahoma City twice in their first three games, and they now face San Antonio in three of their next four games. They took care of business against the Thunder, winning both contests. However, they also lost to Utah in overtime on Friday night. Minnesota covered the spread at Oklahoma City on Sunday after failing to cover at home on Wednesday. The Timberwolves were led by Anthony Edwards, who scored 30 points against Utah before adding another 30 points against the Thunder on Sunday.
is already breaking franchise records. pic.twitter.com/Szf4AEsh1e
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 24, 2022
Big man Rudy Gobert has been a force on the boards to open his tenure with Minnesota, picking up at least 15 rebounds in all three games. He had 23 rebounds in the overtime loss to Utah, which was his former team. Gobert is also averaging 16.0 points per game to go along with 19.5 rebounds. Center Karl-Anthony Towns scored 19.5 points and grabbed 7.0 rebounds, while point guard D’Angelo Russell was also a top scorer. The Timberwolves rank eighth in the NBA in scoring and are 24th defensively. They opened as 10.5-point favorites, but early betting action quickly brought the line down to -9.
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Full game side bet
Insider status:
Evaluation:
San Antonio’s win at Philadelphia on Saturday was one of the most impressive performances by any NBA team so far this season, but I’m not prepared to back the Spurs down the road there. My main concern is San Antonio’s ability to slow Minnesota down in the paint, because the Timberwolves have some of the best big men in the NBA. Gobert was dominant in his first three games with Minnesota, which was a relief for Towns. San Antonio’s young roster can’t match these guys in the paint, so Spurs would have to shoot very well from the perimeter to cover that gap. I’m going to take a chance with Minnesota as a single-digit favorite.
Prediction: Minnesota -9
Total Full Game Selection
Insider status:
Evaluation:
It’s always nice to parlay the favorite with the most, especially when the favorite’s offense is expected to be dominant. Minnesota has way too much talent inside for San Antonio to handle, so I expect easy paint spots for the Timberwolves throughout this game. The Spurs rank near the bottom of the NBA defensively in their first three games, while Minnesota hasn’t fared much better. Both offenses are playing well, though, making for a pretty easy call over the top. This is one of the highest totals of the day, but I’m still happy to support the most at this price.
Prediction: Over 230
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