The Minnesota Timberwolves (0-1) visit the Sacramento Kings (46-36 last season) on NBA Thursday, tipping off at 10 p.m. ET from Sacramento, California. The game is airing live on Bally Sports North and streaming on NBA League Pass.
The Timberwolves are consensus 1-point favorites over the Kings on the spread (Wolves -1), with the over/under currently at 222 points. The Timberwolves are -115 favorites on the moneyline to win outright, while the Kings are +105 to pull off the upset.
Let's dive into my Timberwolves vs. Kings predictions and NBA picks for Thursday, October 24.
Timberwolves vs. Kings Odds
| Timberwolves Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1 -110 | 222 -110o / -110u | -115 |
| Kings Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1 -110 | 222 -110o / -110u | -105 |
- Timberwolves vs. Kings spread: Timberwolves -1
- Timberwolves vs. Kings over/under: 222 points
- Timberwolves vs. Kings moneyline: Timberwolves -115, Kings +105
- Timberwolves vs. Kings best bet: Over 220.5 (Bet to 221.5)
Timberwolves vs. Kings Picks and Predictions
Prediction
My Pick: Over 220.5 (Bet to 221.5)
I like the over here as I anticipate both defenses struggling early in the season.
The Wolves' defense looked completely lost against the Lakers, and I’d argue the Kings pose even more of a challenge than the Lakers offense.
Additionally, the Wolves offense has a clear path to improvement with a bit more ball security, and this Kings defense lacks anyone who can consistently match up with Anthony Edwards.
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Moneyline
After what we saw on Tuesday, who can trust the Wolves now? I think they'll pick it back up, but I need to see more from Minnesota.
I'm curious to see how Sacramento works with DeRozan in the picture. He can sometimes be a spacing nightmare, and perhaps it limits the Kings' potential.
Spread
I can't justify picking either team in the spread. Minnesota was not very good, and I still want to see what the Kings do.
Over/Under
I am picking the Over in this battle.
My Pick: Over 220.5 (Bet to 221.5)
Timberwolves vs. Kings Start Time, Channel, Streaming
| Location: | Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California |
| Date: | Thursday, October 24 |
| Kickoff Time: | 10 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | NBC Sports California / NBA League Pass |
Kings vs. Timberwolves is scheduled for a 10 p.m. ET start time, live from Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, on Thursday. The game is live on NBC Sports California and is streaming on NBA League Pass.
Timberwolves vs. Kings Injuries
- Kings G Devin Carter ruled out with shoulder injury.
Timberwolves vs. Kings NBA Preview
Minnesota Timberwolves: Can the Wolves Recover?
The Timberwolves looked completely lost on both ends on opening night.
I’m extremely skeptical about Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle co-existing together effectively. Both are ball-stoppers who do not see the floor very well and hold the ball for too long when they touch it.
Mike Conley was a -22 in 20 minutes of play and turned the ball over three times in the first half. Gobert was the only thing holding the defense together, and it felt like layup lines for the Lakers when Finch tried the Naz Reid and Randle lineups together.
It’s very disconcerting when you allow a team to beat you by double digits when you hold them 17% from 3. With all that being said, it is just one game, but overall, my takeaway was that this defense may be much worse this season, and the offense has real turnover issues.
This should be a much easier matchup for the Wolves offense as they won’t have to deal with Anthony Davis rim-protection. Their offense could get significantly more efficient just by cutting back on turnovers as they turned the ball over 17% of their possessions against the Lakers.
They are going to have to knock down some more shots here, though, as the Kings do not allow second-chance points. The Kings were #1 in the NBA in defensive rebound rate last season, and with Damontas Sabonis returning, that should continue to be a strong suit of their defense. The Wolves were able to generate 46% of their shots from 3 against the Lakers but converted on just 31% of those looks.
Sacramento Kings: A Reinvigorated Franchise
On the flip side of the ball, the Kings should have a terrific offense this season as they added DeMar DeRozan to go alongside De’Aaron Fox and Sabonis. With Keegan Murray and Kevin Huerter spacing the floor, those guys should have plenty of space to get to their spots.
I wasn’t a big fan of the DeRozan trade, as I don’t think it makes their playoff chances much better, but it should improve their ability to have a solid regular season floor.
He may have a chance to make an immediate impact here as the Wolves' defense ranked 29th in mid-range attempt rate allowed last season.
They were top-10 in rim rate and 3-point attempt rate as they tend to make an effort to leave Gobert dropped near the rim and force teams to beat them with mid-range 2s.
Fox and DeRozan definitely can do that, so I expect the Kings to be able to have some offensive success here, especially after watching how poorly the Wolves defended a weaker Lakers offense.
My Pick: Over 220.5 (Bet to 221.5)
