Germantas Kneita
The last time these teams faced off, I had picked out Rudy Gobert to make the first basket for the Timberwolves. He was nearly able to deliver, but his dunk attempt at the opening possession of the game was denied at the rim by Chet Holmgren, a game they would go on to lose. You can see if tonight’s Timberwolves vs Thunder first basket best bet hits live on ESPN at 8:30 pm ET. You can also lock in our NBA picks for this Timberwolves vs Thunder matchup, where our experts are on an 8-0 run and tonight have a 3-star best bet!
After last night’s winner on Knicks vs Pacers, don’t miss our Timberwolves vs Thunder Same Game Parlay picks for tonight at +363 odds!
Timberwolves vs Thunder first basket best bet: Anthony Edwards (+700)
Odds available at bet365 at time of publishing.
It was clear that Anthony Edwards struggled in Game 4, and as a result his season will be on the line tonight. With somebody who has the competitive nature that Edwards does, I would expect him to come out of the gates early here. He has been leading the Timberwolves in first baskets made this season, having done so on 10 occasions. He also takes the first shot for his team 15.4% of the time, also a team-leading mark. Edwards did attempt just 13 shots in Game 4, exactly like he had done in the series opener. He followed that up with 26 field-goal attempts in Game 2, where he opened the scoring in the game. Look for the script to play out in a similar way here.
Rudy Gobert has now been able to win the opening tip against Chet Holmgren in 3 of the 4 games so far. Considering his size advantage, it is hard to see Holmgren pull this one back. The Frenchman did win both tip-offs in Oklahoma City during the series too. As a result, Edwards should get the ball in his hands before any Thunder player has a chance to touch it, and I’m backing him to convert his first opportunity.
Don’t miss ThatGuyBets’ best Timberwolves vs Thunder player prop bet tonight — he’s 12-2 this season!
