The Minnesota Timberwolves (43-28) and Boston Celtics (47-23) will meet in this week's edition of NBA Sunday Night Basketball. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET from TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The game will broadcast live on NBC and Peacock.
The Celtics are 10.5-point favorites over the Timberwolves on the spread (Celtics -10.5), with the over/under set at 221.5 total points. Boston is a -380 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Minnesota is +300 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Timberwolves vs. Celtics predictions and NBA picks for Sunday, March 22.
Timberwolves vs Celtics Prediction, Pick
- Timberwolves vs Celtics pick: Ayo Dosunmu Over 25.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists (-113)
My Celtics vs. Timberwolves best bet is Ayo Dosunmu to combine for over 25.5 points, rebounds & assists. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Timberwolves vs Celtics Odds
| Timberwolves Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+10.5 -118 | 221.5 -108o / -112u | +300 |
| Celtics Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-10.5 -102 | 221.5 -108o / -112u | -380 |
Timberwolves vs Celtics NBA Preview
Minnesota could be gearing up to endure a very difficult stretch.
The Timberwolves are sixth in the Western Conference standings and have clinched a play-in spot, but their star shooting guard, Anthony Edwards, is set to miss one to two weeks with right knee inflammation.
Edwards has missed his team's last three games. While the Timberwolves won two of those contests, against the Suns and Jazz, they lost to the Trail Blazers in their latest contest.
The second-best team in the Eastern Conference will likely present a different challenge.
Several Timberwolves have improved their offensive contributions with Edwards sidelined, but Ayo Dosunmu's stat bump has arguably been the most impressive.
Dosunmu has posted 19.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, while shooting 48.9% from the field and 46.7% from deep over his previous three outings. His production as a temporary starter could make a huge difference against the NBA's best scoring defense.
The Celtics enter this matchup having won four straight games.
Boston looks strong now that Jayson Tatum is back in the fold after missing the first half of the season with the Achilles injury he suffered in last year's playoffs. However, he's still shaking off some rust following a lengthy layoff.
Defense remains the Celtics' calling card for now, as they are giving up a league-low 107.0 points per game.
Stifling the Timberwolves will likely be much more manageable without Edwards, but their role players still have a chance to post better-than-average numbers.
Naz Reid (ankle) is listed as questionable for Minnesota, while Edwards (knee) is out. Jaylen Brown (ankle) is listed as probable for Boston.
Timberwolves vs Celtics Predictions, Betting Analysis
Dosunmu is averaging a total of 33.0 points, rebounds, and assists per game as a Timberwolves starter.
While that three-game sample size is small, he was productive in spot starts for the Bulls as well.
Dosunmu went over this mark in five of his 10 starts for Chicago this season, despite attempting just 12.0 shots per game.
His shot volume and duties as a facilitator have leveled up since joining Minnesota. He's averaged 15.0 shots per game over his previous three outings.
Only Rudy Gobert (104) and Jaden McDaniels (103) have logged more minutes (99) than Dosunmu for Minnesota since March 17.
Pick: Ayo Dosunmu Over 25.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists (-113)
