The Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t going down quietly, as a Game 3 victory has pulled them to within striking distance of the Houston Rockets in their first round matchup. Minnesota can really make this series interesting by pulling off another upset next time out in Game 4.
Houston would prefer to cruise to the first-round series win and will be expected to win this one despite playing on the road. The Timberwolves hope they have found a formula to knocking off the Rockets.
The spread is small enough that a win by Minnesota wouldn’t be unthinkable, but the Wolves will need a lot of different players to do well and hope the Rockets miss some of their outside shots. This is a critical game as it will determine whether Houston will have an easy time of it in the first round or if Minnesota will make it interesting in NBA basketball gambling.
Game 4 of this NBA Playoff Series is on Monday, April 23, 2018 at 8 p.m. ET at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The contest will be nationally televised on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
Odds Analysis
The Rockets have been listed as 5.5-point favorites to capture Game 4 and take a commanding 3-1 series lead. More than 71 percent of the action is on Houston to cover the spread.
The scoring total is listed at 219 points as the oddsmakers see a high-scoring affair. The “over” has been the more popular choice, with about 60 percent of the action on the total to hit 220 points or more.
The Rockets are listed as -250 favorites on the moneyline while the Timberwolves are +207 underdogs. Houston is getting the majority of the action to win this game outright.
Last Time Out
Minnesota was super sharp in Game 3, hitting 50 percent from the floor and 55.6 percent from three-point range in a 121-107 victory. Jimmy Butler led the way with 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists. He hit 10-of-19 from the floor and sunk four three-pointers.
Jeff Teague added 23 points and Andrew Wiggins added 20. Derrick Rose was a nice boost off the bench as he poured in 17 points in only 21 minutes of action. If Rose can continue to give valuable minutes it would be a big boost to the Timberwolves’ chances in Game 4.
James Harden had 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Rockets. Chris Paul chipped in with 17 points and six assists but the rest of a normally strong complementary group did not play particularly well.
Player To Watch
Karl-Anthony Towns — The Timberwolves’ star center struggled mightily in the first two games in Houston, combining for only 13 points in those contests while shooting poorly from the field.
Towns only connected on 5-of-13 shots from the floor in Game 3 but overall was much better, as he finished with 18 points, 16 rebounds and a pair of blocks. Towns is the most talented player on Minnesota, and the team absolutely needs him to perform well to have a chance.
Look for Towns to be more efficient in Game 4. He must look for his shot and be aggressive in order for Minnesota to play well on offense. He has all the talent in the world but the Rockets have done a nice job of bottling him up through three games.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Timberwolves are more talented than a usual No. 8 seed and it’s no surprise that they were able to capture Game 3 and make Houston work in this series. This contest is huge for both sides. Look for Minnesota to keep it close and have a shot, but for the Rockets to rally late for the close win.
The T-Wolves are the choice to cover the spread, while the “under” is the pick on the scoring total in NBA basketball betting lines.
NBA ATS Pick: Rockets 109, Timberwolves 106
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