Mavericks vs. Timberwolves Game Two Prediction: Timberwolves Look to Tie Series 1-1

The Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves will meet in Minneapolis for Game Two of the Western Conference Finals on Friday.

The Mavs find themselves up 1-0 for the first time in the playoffs following their 108-105 win in Game One. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving both scored 30 points despite shooting a combined 3-13 from three-point territory and made numerous clutch shots and free throws down the stretch to hold onto the victory.

The Timberwolves came out rolling but lost their physical and mental intensity as the game wore on, potentially a sign of the fatigue they incurred during their come-from-behind series and Game Seven against the Denver Nuggets in the conference semifinals. They’ll look to get back on track at home, where they’re a combined 33-13 across the regular and postseason.

Here, we will go over the betting odds and share our favorite pick for Mavericks vs. Timberwolves Game Two.

Mavericks vs. Timberwolves Game Two Betting Odds for Friday, May 24

The Mavericks are 56-39 (59 percent) against the spread and 12-11 (52.2 percent) ATS as a road underdog. They covered in Game One by 7.5 points and are 8-5 (61.5 percent) ATS in the playoffs.

The Timberwolves are 48-44-2 (52.2 percent) ATS and 17-24-2 (41.5 percent) ATS as a home favorite. They’re 8-4 (66.7 percent) ATS in the postseason and 2-3 (40 percent) ATS across all regular and postseason matchups with Dallas.

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Mavericks vs. Timberwolves Game Two Betting Prediction

Dallas Mavericks Preview

The Mavericks did exactly what they needed to in Game One: use their overwhelming scoring advantage in the backcourt to downplay the impact of the Timberwolves’ defense and make life hard for them on the other end. 

Doncic and Irving scored 63 total points, but their ability to make shots down the stretch (from the field and at the free-throw line) is what ensured they stole the victory. That’s despite no other player scoring more than 13 points and only four reaching double-digits.

The Mavericks also managed to take the game while shooting just 24 percent from beyond the arc, a far cry from the 35.9 percent they shot for the playoffs as a whole.

What makes Dallas such a tough matchup for the Wolves is their length and versatility on the wings with P.J. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr., and their constant rotation of big men (Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II).

Minnesota is a tough team to deal with for many other squads because of their double-big lineup, but Dallas’ malleability and the one-on-one prowess of Doncic and Irving allow them to either match them or force the issue by creating mismatches whenever their guards have the ball.

One of the keys for the Mavericks moving forward will be their ability to hit the glass. They grabbed eight more rebounds than the Wolves in Game One but trail them in rebound percentage for the postseason as a whole.

Bet on Dallas Mavericks at BetMGM 

Minnesota Timberwolves Preview

There are several takeaways from Game One from Minnesota’s perspective, as Chris Finch reportedly made sure his team was well aware of during their film session.

One of the takeaways is that the Timberwolves probably win that game if they fought with the same vigor they did in Game Seven against the Nuggets, or if Anthony Edwards is able to assert himself as a scorer.

However, there’s also the question of what the Wolves are going to do with the Mavs’ backcourt moving forward. Jaden McDaniels guarded Luka Doncic and likely will for the remainder of the series, but Edwards did not slow down Irving and potentially used up too much of his energy, leading to him being ineffective on the offensive end. 

Minnesota could always have Mike Conley stick with Irving and hide Edwards on Jones Jr. The more intriguing question is if they’ll give more minutes to Kyle Anderson and have him guard Doncic while McDaniels goes to Irving, or if they’ll let Nickeil Alexander-Walker—who was terrible shooting the ball in his last two games—–go back to playing 25+ minutes per night and get a crack at guarding Irving.

Minnesota made 18 threes and shot 36.7 percent from beyond the arc but only went 11-18 (61.1 percent) from the charity stripe in Game One, which was another area where they shot themselves in the foot.

All eyes will be on Edwards in Game Two. The Mavericks, unlike the Nuggets, did not blitz him, but still held him to 19 points on 6-16 shooting. He added 11 boards and eight assists to his stat line but needs to get back to being a high-volume scorer to match the scoring power of Doncic and Irving.

Bet on Minnesota Timberwolves at BetMGM 

Mavericks vs. Timberwolves Game Two Betting Pick

This is only the second time in the Luka Doncic era that the Mavericks are up 1-0 in a series, making this somewhat uncharted territory. Similarly, this is the first time the Timberwolves are down 0-1 in these playoffs, though they bounced back from consecutive losses at home in their last series.

The coaching acumen of Finch and Jason Kidd will be put to the test here as both teams make their adjustments. While Dallas has room to improve, specifically from beyond the arc, Minnesota usually shows more heart than it did on Wednesday and should be better on the boards.

We like the Timberwolves to win and cover in Game Two. They have to get Edwards going at some point, and we believe the combination of him and their defense will be enough to tie the series up 1-1.

• Mavericks vs. Timberwolves Game Two pick: Timberwolves -5.5 (-105) at BetMGM

Mavericks vs. Timberwolves Game Two, May 24

• When: Friday, May 24 @ 7:30/8:30 p.m. CT/ET

  Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN

  TV: TNT

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