The Timberwolves had control for most of the game, but the Mavericks made a fourth-quarter surge to steal Game 1 on the road. Can Minnesota even it up, or will Dallas hold a two-game lead as they head home? Let’s look at the best bet for Game 2.
Friday’s Best NBA Bets
Dallas Mavericks @ Minnesota Timberwolves (-5.5) | O/U 207.5 (-110/-110)
With four points in the first half, Luka Doncic was slow to start, but he got hot late. Even with Minnesota pressuring him, he found shots and had 15 points in the fourth quarter. They wouldn’t have been able to do that without Kyrie Irving’s stellar first half by scoring 24 points, and he’s been able to play the supportive role for Doncic when he gets hot.
The Timberwolves almost got away with an overall poor performance. They only shot 42% from the floor and 36% from three. The defense was doing their best to put pressure on whoever had the ball, but they were not getting any help off pick and rolls, allowing Dallas to get open shots. They will have to adjust on defense and possibly play more zone. They also need to figure out how to get Anthony Edwards going. He’s 12-for-30 in the last two games because he’s been unable to drive to the basket.
Minnesota will make the adjustments and perform better. They will do what they need to avoid going down 0-2, and this will be a better performance from Edwards.
Pick: Timberwolves -5.5 (-108)
