Suns vs. Timberwolves Betting Picks and Prediction for Game 2

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Suns vs. Timberwolves Betting Picks and Prediction for Game 2

Following a lopsided 120-95 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1, the Phoenix Suns have their sights on evening the first-round playoff series in Game 2. The Suns swept the Timberwolves in their three regular-season meetings, but Minnesota covered as 2.5-point favorites, and the over of 213.5 connected in Game 1.

Upon securing a victory to kickstart the playoff clash versus the Suns, the Timberwolves now possess -176 odds to win the series and +800 odds to win the Western Conference. There is still skepticism surrounding Minnesota's chances of winning it all as they are tied for the fourth-shortest odds to win the NBA Finals (+2100) among teams in the West.

Will the Suns level the series at 1-1 before heading back to Phoenix for Game 3? Or will the Timberwolves take care of business at home in back-to-back contests?

Let's take a look at the odds and discuss the matchup for Game 2 of the series between the Suns and Timberwolves.

All NBA odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NBA Playoffs Betting

Suns-Timberwolves Betting Odds

Date and Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

Spread: Timberwolves -3 (-110)

Total: 212

Moneyline:

Suns: +128
Timberwolves: -152

Suns vs. Timberwolves Advanced Stats Breakdown

nERD via numberFire. Adjusted offensive/defensive ratings and pace via DunksAndThrees.

Phoenix Suns:
- nERD: 59.2 (9th)
- Adjusted Offensive Rating: 114.7 (16th)
- Adjusted Defensive Rating: 112.8 (7th)
- Pace: 98.5 (22nd)
- Against-the-Spread Record: 35-45-2
Minnesota Timberwolves:
- nERD: 70.9 (3rd)
- Adjusted Offensive Rating: 113.5 (23rd)
- Adjusted Defensive Rating: 113.7 (10th)
- Pace: 101.0 (10th)
- Against-the-Spread Record: 40-41-1

Suns vs. Timberwolves Best Bet

Over 212 (-108)

Instead of taking either team to cover the spread in Game 2, we'll place confidence in the over hitting. In the first game of the series, the Timberwolves did most of the heavy lifting to help reach over 213.5 by producing 120 points, but I expect a bounce-back performance from the Suns on Tuesday.

In the three regular-season meetings, Phoenix averaged 118.3 points per game versus Minnesota. That includes a showdown earlier this month where the Suns logged only 97 points.

While the playoffs can sometimes feature lower-scoring matchups due to teams slowing the game down and trying to make every possession count, there's only so much the Timberwolves can do to contain the likes of Kevin Durant (27.1 PPG), Devin Booker (27.1 PPG), and Bradley Beal (18.2 PPG).

Despite Durant logging 31 points in Game 1, Booker uncharacteristically shot 5-for-16 from the field, resulting in only 18 points. On top of that, Grayson Allen -- who led the NBA in three-point percentage (46.1%) during the regular season -- went 0-for-3 from deep to begin the series.

Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards (25.9 PPG) is evolving into a superstar right before our eyes after registering 33 points in Game 1. Even with Phoenix struggling on the offensive end, the over still managed to hit to get the series underway.

During the regular season, the Suns scored fewer than 100 points just five times. In those five instances, Phoenix followed up those low-scoring outputs with 118-plus points in their next game four times.

Across the last 10 head-to-head meetings between Phoenix and Minnesota, the over is 7-3. This season alone, the Suns and Timberwolves are now 3-1 to the over when facing each other.

numberFire is giving the over a slightly better chance (52.07%) of occurring than the implied odds of -108 (51.9%) suggests.

Suns vs. Timberwolves Prop Bet

Devin Booker Over 24.5 Points (-122)

As mentioned above, it was a forgettable outing for Booker in the series opener versus the Timberwolves. The All-Star guard converted just five of his 16 shots from the floor while going -15 in the 37 minutes he was active.

Throughout the 68 games Booker appeared in during the regular season, he scored 25-plus points in 37 of them. Despite scoring more than 23 points just once in the three meetings against Minnesota in the regular season, there is a trend of Booker bouncing back in a large way each time he produces fewer than 20 points in his previous contest.

There were a total of 11 games where Booker tallied fewer than 20 points this season. Booker would proceed to post 25-plus points in his next contest following 10 of those 11 games -- including eight 30-point performances.

After shooting a dismal 31.3% from the field in Game 1, Booker should shoot closer to his regular-season mark of 49.4% in hopes to avoid going down 0-2 in the series. The offensive-minded guard will likely focus on getting to the free-throw line more often -- where he shoots 88.6% -- as the Timberwolves commit the 12th-most personal fouls per game (18.9).

Backing Booker to record 25-plus points in Game 2 correlates with us taking the over in Tuesday's showdown.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.