The Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets playoff game is set to tip off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 18, with the Nuggets entering as 7.5-point favorites on the spread, via PrizePicks.
One of the NBA’s top modern-day rivalries kicks off this afternoon as the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves head to the Mile High City to take on the No. 3 seed Denver Nuggets. It’s a classic defense vs. offense showdown with the Timberwolves defense anchored by four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, taking on the three-time MVP and offensive juggernaut Nikola Jokic.
Below, we'll break down our Timberwolves vs. Nuggets prediction and picks for Saturday’s NBA Playoff game, including the spread, over/under, and key player picks for PrizePicks.
Don’t wait until lock — make your Timberwolves vs. Nuggets picks on PrizePicks now for Saturday's NBA game.
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Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Prediction, Spread, Over/Under – Saturday, April 18
The Timberwolves enter the playoffs playing average basketball, going 5-5 over their last 10 regular-season games. SG Anthony Edwards was out for the majority of the two weeks before the playoffs and is listed as questionable for today's game, per the NBA injury report.
Minnesota will need its young superstar to be at his very best this series if it is to pull off another upset following its conference finals victory over Denver in 2024. Edwards averaged 27.7 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game in that series while pouring in 43 points in one of the wins.
The Nuggets were the hottest team to close out the NBA’s regular season. They ended the season on a 12-game winning streak that saw them climb from the No. 6 seed in the West to No. 3.
There were some rumblings that the Nuggets may throw their last game of the regular season to duck the Timberwolves for the Rockets. Denver clearly isn’t avoiding anyone, as its backups went into San Antonio and upset the Spurs starters (minus Wemby) as double-digit underdogs.
The Nuggets are obviously Nikola Jokic’s team, but how far they go in the playoffs may actually be in the hands of PG Jamal Murray. Playoff Murray has proven year after year to be arguably the NBA’s top playoff riser, and he is coming off his best season as a professional, which saw him make his first All-Star game.
Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Spread, Over/Under – Saturday, April 18
The Nuggets enter Saturday’s game as 7.5-point home favorites against the Timberwolves, returning a 1.33x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
Here are the full payouts for the Timberwolves vs. Nuggets game on PrizePicks.
- Spread: Denver Nuggets -7.5 (1.96x payout)
- Over/Under: 231.5 (1.85x payout on Over)
- Game Winner Payout: Timberwolves - 3.12x | Nuggets - 1.33x
Play the Timberwolves vs. Nuggets spread or over/under on PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money — available in 35 states!
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Timeline
Here is the full Timberwolves vs. Nuggets timeline, including the playoff series game-by-game and recent matchup history.
All-Time: Nuggets, 100-70
Regular Season: Nuggets, 92-61 (Denver 3-1 this season)
Series: Timberwolves, 9-8 (Minnesota 2-1 in playoff series)
Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Prediction on Spread for NBA Playoffs First Round
Here are the key game stats and trends behind our Timberwolves vs. Nuggets prediction on the spread for Saturday, April 18.
Lock in your Timberwolves vs. Nuggets prediction on PrizePicks before the line moves.
- Minnesota has been bad against the spread (ATS) all season, going just 36-46-0 (43.9%).
- The Nuggets went 3-1 straight up and ATS against the Timberwolves during the regular season.
- Denver is playing significantly better basketball than Minnesota heading into today’s matchup. Over their last 10 games, the Nuggets' net rating (+10.6) is 11.2 points better than the Timberwolves' (-0.6), per NBA Advanced Stats.
- The Timberwolves do a great job limiting opponents' attempts from deep, holding them to just 34.0 shots per game (second).
- Unfortunately, this strength may be rendered moot against a Nuggets team that ranks only 16th in percentage of points scored from 3-point range.
- This Denver team would much prefer to be clinical in the 2-point area, as seen by its eFG% (57.7) and true shooting percentage (61.6%).
Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Player Picks, Stats for PrizePicks – 4/18/26
Here are the top Timberwolves vs. Nuggets picks to target on PrizePicks for Saturday, April 18. Today’s NBA picks for PrizePicks include Julius Randle and Nikola Jokic.
Timberwolves F Julius Randle vs. Nuggets Projection: 31.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- This projection seems a tad low for Randle, who is averaging 32.8 points, rebounds, and assists (PRA) per game this season.
- Randle has shot significantly better on the road this season, shooting +3.0% better from the field and +8.3% better from 3-point range.
- He went over this projection in three of his four matchups against the Nuggets in the regular season.
- Denver’s best defender, F Aaron Gordon, will likely draw the Anthony Edwards assignment. This could leave Randle to cook against some subpar defenders.
- The Nuggets' defense in general has been subpar this season, ranking just 21st in defensive rating (116.0).
Add Julius Randle to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
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Nuggets C Nikola Jokic vs. Timberwolves Projection: 51.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- This is a pace-up matchup for Jokic and the Nuggets, who rank 20th in the league in pace, against a Timberwolves team that ranks in the top 10.
- Jokic has terrorized Gobert and the Timberwolves this season, surpassing this projection in three of his four matchups, including an unbelievable 56-16-15 stat line back in December.
- In the 2024 conference finals, the Timberwolves employed a defensive scheme against Jokic that focused on taking away his passing, which led to him taking 21.6 shots per game.
- Jokic averaged 51.3 PRA this season while taking just 17.4 shots per game; if his shot volume increases significantly, he could clear this projection with relative ease.
Add Nikola Jokic to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
Make Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Picks on PrizePicks
Will the Timberwolves continue their postseason excellence against the Denver Nuggets? Or will Denver finally exorcise their Minnesota playoff demons?
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