The Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors get their second-round NBA playoff series going on Tuesday night in Game 1. The Wolves are playing for the first time in six days after ousting the Los Angeles Lakers last week. The Warriors are playing just two days after eliminating the Houston Rockets in Game 7 on Sunday.
Wolves star Anthony Edwards shined against the Lakers, averaging 26.8 points per game. Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and Rudy Gobert also had their moments in the series victory. The Warriors, meanwhile, were led by Stephen Curry against the Rockets and also got 33 points from Buddy Hield in Game 7.
The Wolves are favored to win the series (-190) and four of our six experts picked Minnesota to advance to the Western Conference finals for the second year in a row.
Timberwolves vs. Warriors Game 1 info
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET | Date: Tuesday, May 6
Location: Target Center — Minneapolis
TV channel: TNT | Live stream: Max
Odds (via Caesars): Timberwolves -6.5, O/U 210.5
Timberwolves vs. Warriors Game 1 best bet
Julius Randle was obviously spectacular in the Laker series, but that came against a team with no rim-protection whatsoever. In his two previous trips to the playoffs, he shot 34.4% from the floor and 28.3% from 3-point range. Now, he’s getting guarded primarily by Draymond Green. Alperen Sengun shot 23-of-59 from the floor, or 39%, when guarded by Green in the first round. He has many defensive virtues, but his ability to completely hold his ground near the basket against anyone in the NBA is the most pertinent here. Green will turn Randle into a jump-shooter, and unless he gets hot, that limits his upside as a scorer. The Pick: Randle Under 20.5 Points
