Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for January 2 (Back a High-Scoring First Half in Minnesota)

Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Game Info

• Date: Monday, January 2, 2023
• Time: 8:00 PM ET
• Venue: Target Center -- Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Coverage: ALT and BSN

The 2022-23 NBA season continues on Monday with 11 more games, including an exciting battle between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Nuggets rank first in the Western Conference with a stellar 24-12 record, while the Timberwolves check in 11th with a 16-21 record.

Denver enters as a victor in seven of its last eight games after taking down the Boston Celtics by a score of 123-111 on Sunday. Meanwhile, Minnesota saw its losing streak grow to six thanks to a 116-104 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. Will the Timberwolves be able to bounce back at home?

Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Odds & Spread

All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Nuggets vs Timberwolves Betting Information

Favorite	Spread	Favorite Spread Odds	Underdog Spread Odds	Total	Over Total Odds	Under Total Odds	Favorite Moneyline	Underdog Moneyline
Nuggets	-3	-	-	232.5	-110	-110	-152	128

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: MIN: (+112) | DEN: (-132)
• Spread: MIN: +2 (-110) | DEN: -2 (-110)
• Total: 233 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

The Nuggets enter this contest as slight road favorites on moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 8 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 233 points, which is above average compared to Monday's projected totals.

Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Betting Trends

• The Nuggets have covered the spread 19 times in 36 games with a set spread.
• This year, the Timberwolves have an ATS record of 3-8 in their 11 games as an underdog of 3 points or more.
• This season, 18 of the Nuggets' games have gone over the point total.
• Timberwolves games this season have gone over the total in 16 of 36 opportunities (44.4%).
• Denver owns a better record against the spread at home (10-7-0) than it does in road games (9-10-0).
• Minnesota has the same winning percentage against the spread (.389) at home (7-11-0 record) and on the road (7-11-0) this year.

Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Prediction & Pick

Each player of Denver's starting five was on the court for at least 30 minutes on Sunday before traveling to Minnesota after the game. It's possible the Nuggets are a bit fatigued in this one, which obviously gives the Timberwolves an advantage. Denver is only 10-9 on the road this season, too.

It's worth pointing out that Minnesota averages 54.4 points in the paint per game (No. 6 in NBA), while Denver allows 51.3 points in the paint per game (No. 21 in NBA) this season. The talent of veterans Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid should be enough to challenge Nikola Jokic down low in a close victory.

I'll side with a Timberwolves team that took down the Nuggets in three of four meetings last year.

Final Score Prediction: Timberwolves: 120 | Nuggets: 115

Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Best Bet

Yes, Denver enters this game on the second night of a back-to-back. That isn't a reason to fade their offense, though. The Nuggets will likely be less dominant on defense and then forced to play with a quicker pace to keep up early on. These are two of the best first-half offenses in the NBA, anyways.

Denver ranks second in first half points per game (60.4), while Minnesota checks in not too far behind at 10th (58.1). Overall, the first half total has hit the over in 13 of the Nuggets' 19 away games and in 11 of the Timberwolves' 18 home games. Trust the stars in this contest to come out firing on Monday.

Bet: First Half Total Points Over 119.5 (-110)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.