Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Game 5: Western Conference Playoffs – Second round

The Denver Nuggets tied the series on the road and now are hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena on Tuesday.

Can the Timberwolves regain the momentum?

The Minnesota Timberwolves started the series strong, winning both games in Denver, and were on a six-game winning streak at that moment. However, things did not go well when the series moved to Minneapolis, and now the score is tied at two games apiece. Anthony Edwards scored a playoff-high 44 points in Game 4, but that wasn’t enough for the Wolves, as the Nuggets won 115-107. Mike Conley had a solid game with 15 points and 9 assists, as did Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Are the Nuggets the favorites to win the West?

The Denver Nuggets had a terrible start to the series, and things did not look promising at all as they went to Minnesota with a two-game deficit. Anyway, head coach Mike Malone showed what he can do with this team, and the Nuggets looked much better on the road. They blew out the Wolves in Game 3 and then had full control over the next one to tie the series. The three-time MVP Nikola Jokic led the team with 35 points, Aaron Gordon had 27 and Jamal Murray had 19.

Betting Trends

The Nuggets have won 10 of their last 14 games overall. They are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games against teams from the Western Conference and 10-3 SU in their last 13 games against teams from the Northwest Division. The Nuggets have played under the total point line in 6 of their last 9 games overall in the last five home games and in 4 of the last 5 games played on Tuesday. The Timberwolves are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games, 14-6 SU in their last 20 games against teams from the Northwest Division and 6-1 SU in their last 7 games played on Tuesday. They have played over the total point line in 9 of their last 13 games overall and in 8 of the last 11 games against teams from the Western Conference.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Denver Nuggets looked absolutely hopeless in the first two games of the series but then proved why they are the defending champions with two perfect performances on the road. They are a team that works well together, and now the confidence is on their side. The Wolves are also excellent, but the lack of playoff experience was visible in the last two games. This will be a tough battle, but the Nuggets will take control of the series by winning tonight.