The Minnesota Timberwolves hold a 3-1 lead over the Denver Nuggets, but the T-Wolves were bit by the injury bug in Saturday’s 112-96 win.
Minnesota SG Anthony Edwards suffered a left knee injury, while SG Donte DiVincenzo sustained a season-ending ruptured Achilles tendon. Both players will be out for tonight’s 10:30 p.m. ET battle between the Timberwolves and Nuggets in Game 5.
Below, we'll break down the latest Anthony Edwards injury update and when he could return from injury. Plus, we’ll dive into how Edwards’ and DiVincenzo’s absences for Game 5 impact player picks for PrizePicks.
Make your NBA Playoff picks on PrizePicks — including ones on Timberwolves vs. Nuggets and other Monday games.
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Anthony Edwards Injury Update: When Will Edwards Return?
Anthony Edwards had battled a nagging right knee in the final month of the regular season. He played for 18 minutes before suffering a bone bruise and a hyperextension in his left knee in Game 3.
He’s expected to miss multiple weeks, meaning Edwards will likely be absent for the remainder of this series. Plus, Ant-Man’s nagging patellar tendinitis in his right knee further adds to the problem.
At best, Edwards may return in a potential conference semifinals series. In addition, DiVincenzo is done for the season.
With that said, these injuries are certainly making a huge impact on the current first-round battle against the Nuggets. How have series predictions shifted on PrizePicks Team Picks?
How Does Edwards’ Injury Impact Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Series Predictions?
Here are the payouts on PrizePicks Team Picks for the series winner of the Timberwolves vs. Nuggets first-round matchup with Edwards likely out for several weeks.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Yes 1.66x | No 2.12x
Denver Nuggets: Yes 2.12x | No 1.66x
Despite the impact injuries, the T-Wolves are still favored to win the series. Their chances of appearing in the NBA Finals have taken a hit, though, sporting a 22.22x payout to win the Western Conference.
Edwards led the Timberwolves with 28.8 PPG, 20.2 shots per contest, and a 30.9% usage rate in the regular season, via NBA Advanced Stats. Excluding Game 4 with 18 minutes played, Ant-Man posted 23.0 PPG in his first three games of this series.
DiVincenzo was making a major impact from beyond the arc, recording 14.3 PPG while knocking down 11-of-22 3-point shots (50.0%) in the first three games vs. the Nuggets.
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
What Players to Target on PrizePicks with Edwards Out?
Minnesota has plenty of points to replace if it’s to win this series. When Edwards and DiVincenzo are off the court, Wolves F Jaden McDaniels (+4.3%) and F Julius Randle (+2.6%) see the largest increases in usage rate this season, per FantasyLabs.
Looking at just the playoffs, Randle (11.3%) and PF/C Naz Reid (6.2%) see the largest jumps in usage rate for this split. However, Randle has posted 15.3 shots per game against Denver — which is the same total as the regular season. Reid has recorded 9.5 PPG in this series compared to 13.6 PPG in the regular season.
Timberwolves G Ayo Dosunmu feels like the clear answer to step up, leading Minnesota with 22.8 PPG in this series. Plus, he’s shooting a blistering 64.0% from the field and 52.9% on 3-pointers. Dosunmu comes off a jaw-dropping 43-point outing in Game 3.
Here are the Timberwolves players who may benefit most on PrizePicks with Edwards and DiVincenzo out — and their stat projections for Monday.
- G Ayo Dosunmu — 20 Points / 30 Pts+Rebs+Asts / 37 Fantasy Score
- F Julius Randle — 22 Points / 33.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts / 38.5 Fantasy Score
- F Jaden McDaniels — 17 Points / 25.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts / 32.5 Fantasy Score
Dosunmu has recorded 37.0 minutes and 34.0 PPG over the last two games, converting 5 of 8 3-point attempts (62.5%) in the split.
Pick More or Less Timberwolves vs. Nuggets player stats on PrizePicks now before 10:30 p.m. ET tip.
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Make Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Picks on PrizePicks
Will Dosunmu’s eye-popping play keep up with the absences of Edwards and DiVincenzo on Monday night? The Timberwolves are still favored to win the series vs. the Nuggets, needing only one more win to advance. However, their chances of a deep playoff run have taken a hit from injuries.
Don't wait until lock — make your Timberwolves vs. Nuggets picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you're right.
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