Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Prediction, Odds and Picks for Saturday, 04/18/26

For the 2nd season in a row the Timberwolves finish the year 49-33 and enter the postseason as the 6th seed in the loaded West. They’re looking to go back to the West Finals for a 3rd straight season, however as far as optimism goes heading into the postseason I’d argue it’s at its lowest since this impressive run they’ve been on. The main issues revolve around Anthony Edwards and his right knee injury, because of which he’s played in just 3 times since mid-March. On top of that one of their key role players Jaden McDaniels is also struggling with a left knee issue, these are major red flags if you’re a Timberwolves supporter.

The Nuggets have had their fair share of injury issues this year, but they look a lot better going into Game 1 with most of their big name players being healthy. Getting a 5 day break before the postseason begins will be massive for them, especially for Jamal Murray who has had to carry an additional load with Jokic and Gordon missing a decent chunk of the season. Expectations are high in the Nuggets camp going into this postseason. Some people were questioning whether not they want to face Minnesota in Round 1, I think a team led by a 3-time MVP doesn’t really care who comes their way. Aside from the Thunder I’d argue the Nuggets are the team to beat in the Western Conference playoffs, and yes I did not forget about the Spurs.

Setting the tone in Game 1 could be the key for the rest of the series. As we all know these two have a history of playing each other on the biggest stage, we all still remember that upset win in Game 7 for Minnesota the last time they matched-up in the postseason. Something tells me the Nuggets didn’t forget about that painful experience, so I think they’ll take the T’Wolves far more seriously this time around. They won 3 of 4 meetings during the regular season, two of those were decided by double-digits. I’ll take my chances with Jokic and co. in the series opener on Saturday.

Timberwolves vs Nuggets prediction: Nuggets -5.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.