The Timberwolves and Spurs meet tonight in San Antonio for Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series. The Timberwolves are short-handed without question while the young Spurs are finding their playoff footing.
Minnesota comes into this matchup after eliminating Denver in six games, capped by a 110–98 win in which Jaden McDaniels posted 32 points and 10 rebounds. Terrence Shannon Jr. added 24 but the reason Shannon is getting that run is because thei Timberwolves’ backcourt has been decimated by injuries. Anthony Edwards (knee) and Ayo Dosunmu (calf) are both listed as questionable, while Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) is out, leaving Minnesota reliant on Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert to anchor both ends of the floor. Their defense carried them in the First Round as Gobert slowed Nikola Jokic and a combination of players shut down Jamal Murray.
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San Antonio, however, is a different beast. They push pace and space the floor extremely well. The Spurs take the court in Round 2 following a dominant series win over Portland in five games. Wembanyama was a monster in the paint against the Blazers and he is expected to be a major factor again in Round 2…especially against a Minnesota team missing its top scorer in Edwards. The Spurs’ offense averages 119.8 points per game, and their ability to push in transition and generate corner threes will challenge Minnesota’s defensive discipline.
Matchup‑wise, the spotlight falls on the frontcourt battle. Gobert’s rim protection was crucial against Denver, but Wembanyama presents a completely different challenge with his length, mobility, and perimeter threat. Minnesota may need to lean on smaller, five‑out lineups featuring Randle in order to pull Wembanyama away from the basket, a strategy analysts expect them to explore. Meanwhile, San Antonio’s depth—highlighted by contributors like Julian Champagnie and Stephon Castle—gives them multiple scoring outlets if Minnesota overcommits defensively.
While both teams are obviously playing well, the Spurs’ health and continuity give them a clear advantage as they take the court tonight.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
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We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch Live: Timberwolves vs. Spurs
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Date: Monday, May 4, 2026
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Network/Streaming: NBCSN, Peacock
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Game Odds: Timberwolves vs. Spurs
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:
This game opened Spurs -13.5 with the Game Total set at 218.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Timberwolves vs. Spurs
Minnesota Timberwolves
**Know that if Dosunmu and Edwards play, Conly and Shannon head to the bench. If one of the aforementioned injured players returns, Shannon most likely will be on the bench.
San Antonio Spurs
Injury Report: Timberwolves vs. Spurs
Minnesota Timberwolves
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Anthony Edwards (knee) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
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Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) has been declared OUT of tonight’s game
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Ayo Dosunmu (calf) is lasted as questionable for tonight’s game
San Antonio Spurs
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Carter Bryant (foot) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
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Important stats, trends and insights: Timberwolves vs. Spurs
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The Timberwolves are 24-20 on the road this season
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The Spurs are 34-9 at home this season
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The Spurs are 49-37-2 ATS this season
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Minnesota is 41-47 ATS this season
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The OVER has cashed in 37 of the Spurs’ 88 games this season (37-51)
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The OVER has cashed in 39 of the Timberwolves’ 88 games this season (39-49)
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Rudy Gobert pulled down at least 10 rebounds in 4 of the 6 games and at least 7 in all 6 games of the opening round
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Terrence Shannon Jr. was 15-30 from the field but just 3-11 from deep in Game 5 and 6 against the Nuggets
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Jaden McDaniels averaged 17.8 points and 6.8 rebounds against the Nuggets in the Opening Round
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Stephon Castle was 11-27 from beyond the arc in the opening round against Portland
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Dylan Harper averaged 12.6 points in the Opening Round and shot 56.1% (23-41) in the First Round
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s Timberwolves and Spurs’ game:
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Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
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Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Spurs -13.5 ATS
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Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 217.5
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Team Total: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Timberwolves’ Team Total UNDER 101.5.
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Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
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Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
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Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
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