Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction, 4/23/2026 Preview and Pick

Game: Denver Nuggets vs Minnesota Timberwolves

Date: Thursday, April 23, 2026

Location: Target Center in Minneapolis, MN

TV: Prime Video

Odds/Point Spread: Denver (-2.0)

Target Center is where the Minnesota Timberwolves (49-33) will attempt to defeat the Denver Nuggets (54-28) on Thursday in Game 3 of their series. The series is tied 1-1. Minnesota is 2.0-point dogs. The total is set at 233.

The Nuggets took a loss by a final of 119-114 in Game 2. When it comes to fouls, the Nuggets ended up finishing with 26 while the Timberwolves accounted for 21 fouls. They made 14 of their 34 attempts from beyond the arc. Minnesota finished the contest at 63.3% from the charity stripe by converting 19 of their 30 tries. On top of that, Minnesota pulled down 47 rebounds (14 offensive, 33 defensive) and added 7 rejections. Minnesota doled out 22 assists and had 5 steals in this matchup. In relation to defending, Denver allowed their opponent to shoot 47.8% from the field on 43 of 90 shooting. They also dished out 22 assists for the matchup while forcing the other team into 14 turnovers and having 9 steals. Regarding grabbing boards, they earned a total of 36 with 6 of them being offensive. At the charity stripe, the Nuggets made 23 of 30 tries for a percentage of 76.7%. Denver wrapped up the game having earned a 44.2% FG percentage (38 of 86) and made 15 of their 41 three-point attempts.

Jamal Murray is someone who was a factor for the matchup. He ended up scoring 30 points on 11 of 25 shooting. He was on the court for 43 mins played and also pulled down 7 rebounds. Murray finished shooting 44.0% from the floor and also earned 7 assists.

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Denver will play this contest with a record of 54-28 this year. They currently have an average of 122.1 pts per contest (1st in the league) while going 49.6% from the field. The Nuggets are shooting 39.6% on shots beyond the perimeter (1,161 of 2,934) and 80.8% from the free throw line. As a team, Denver is collecting 44.0 boards per contest and has accounted for 2,375 dimes on the season, which has them ranked 4th in the NBA in terms of passing the rock. They are losing possession via turnover 12.9 times per contest and as a group are committing 19.1 fouls every game.

On defense, the Nuggets are forcing their opponents into 11.8 turnovers every game while drawing 21.5 fouls. They relinquish 34.9% on three-point shots and they are ranked 21st in the NBA in points per game from their opponents (116.9). The Nuggets are allowing a FG percentage of 46.8% (3,503 of 7,481) and they surrender 42.8 rebounds per contest as a group. They are 20th in basketball in giving up assists to the opposition with 2,254 conceded this year.

Minnesota was able to steal a road win in Game 2 with a solid offensive showing. The Timberwolves earned 33 defensive boards and 14 offensive boards totaling 47 for the contest. They gave up possession of the ball 14 times, while recording 5 steals in this game. The Nuggets were called for 26 fouls for the matchup which got the Timberwolves to the charity stripe for a total of 30 attempts. They were able to convert 19 of the free throw attempts for a clip of 63.3%. When talking about shooting from distance, Minnesota converted 14 of 34 tries (41.2%). When the final whistle blew, the Timberwolves finished shooting 43 out of 90 from the field which gave them a rate of 47.8%. The Timberwolves allowed the Nuggets to make 38 out of 86 tries from the floor which had them sitting at 44.2% for the matchup. They finished 36.6% from three-point range by going 15 of 41 and ended up shooting 23 out of 30 at the charity stripe (76.7%). In reference to how they attacked the glass, Minnesota allowed Denver to snag 36 overall (6 offensive).

Anthony Edwards ended up having an impact for the Timberwolves in the matchup. He made 10 of 25 in this matchup for a field goal rate of 40.0%, and earned 10 rebounds. Edwards racked up 30 points in his 40 mins on the court and had 2 assists for the matchup.

Minnesota has a win-loss record of 49-33 on the year. The Timberwolves are committing 21.2 fouls per contest and they shoot 75.2% from the free throw line. Their rate of earning assists is at 26.1 times per game (16th in the NBA) and they turn it over 14.8 times per game. Minnesota has earned 9,676 points for the season (118.0 per game) and they snag 44.1 boards per game. As an offense, the Timberwolves are hitting on 48.1% from the field, which is ranked 9th in the NBA.

The Minnesota defense surrenders 35.5% on 3-pointers (990 of 2,786) and opponents are converting on 78.1% of their shots from the charity stripe. They give up 26.0 assists and 43.7 rebounds on a nightly basis, which has them ranked 10th and 16th in the league. The Timberwolves on the defensive side of the court are 12th in basketball in points given up per game with 114.6. They are forcing their opponents into 15.0 TO's per game and have let teams shoot 46.2% from the floor (7th in basketball).

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Denver (-2.0)

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