Warriors vs. Timberwolves Prediction and Odds: Can Ant Man Step Up Without Curry?

The Golden State Warriors will take their 1-0 series lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road for Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals.

The Dubs took down the Timberwolves against all odds in Game 1 despite losing Stephen Curry to a hamstring injury in the second quarter. Curry was already ruled out for Thursday’s contest and will be re-evaluated in one week.

The Wolves team that showed up to start the series was nothing like the one that took down the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the first round. They appeared tight, they were horrible shooting from range, and their beautiful ball movement was replaced by an amalgamation of poor spacing, lack of movement, and bad decision-making that has previously plagued them.

Here, I will break down the betting odds and share my favorite Warriors vs. Timberwolves betting pick for Game 2 on Thursday.

For more betting insights, check our selection of NBA Player Props and Best Bets today.

Warriors vs. Timberwolves Betting Odds for Thursday, May 8

The Warriors are 45-43-3 (51.1 percent) against the spread, 26-18-2 (59.1 percent) ATS on the road, and 18-13 (58.1 percent) ATS as an underdog.

The Timberwolves are 43-44-1 (49.4 percent) ATS, 19-24-1 (44.2 percent) ATS at home, and 29-37 (43.9 percent) ATS as a favorite.

Odds from BetMGM Sportsbook. Use our BetMGM promo code WSNSPORTS to get up to $1,500 in bonus bets*.

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Warriors vs. Timberwolves Prediction

Golden State Warriors Preview

The Warriors never would’ve imagined they’d be up 1-0 and without Curry after they went to a road Game 7 with the Houston Rockets while the Wolves were at home resting.

Game 1 quickly made it apparent that the Warriors had gotten comfortable playing in low-efficiency defensive riots that were more geared to physical assertion than aesthetic shot-making. Minnesota’s poor shooting touch played into that comfortability and allowed them to function at nearly the same level without Curry they had with him.

The Warriors are always thought of as an offensive team because of Curry’s greatness. However, they rank sixth with a 109.4 defensive rating in the postseason and won the battle of the boards 51-41 in Game 1, totally against the face of what both teams did in their first-round series.

With Golden State’s best-ever player unavailable, Buddy Hield and Gary Payton II will likely join Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler III, and Brandin Podziemski in the starting lineup. Hield scored 57 points over his last two games and has proven himself to be a vital contributor, and the team will need him and several other high-importance role players to help carry the scoring burden without Curry.

This is also an excellent time for Butler to officially earn his contract in the Bay. He went for 20 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, and two steals in Game 1 and will spend much more time with the ball in his hands, which should lead to another slow-tempo game and numerous rack-attacks that end in free-throws.

Steve Kerr can be frustrating at times, but he had a stroke of genius to play 12 players in Game 1 with his team coming off a rest disadvantage. Nuances like these are part of what have made him such a successful coach and are reasons to believe he will have an adjustment ready without Curry.

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Minnesota Timberwolves Preview

The Wolves need to answer this question: Are they going to continue to get themselves so hyped up to play big-name teams that they forget to handle their business against the rest of their competition, or are they going to prove they are bonafide championship contenders by responding in Game 2?

Game 1 was a tough watch for Wolves fans. Their team shot 39.5 percent from the floor and 5-29 (17.2 percent) from three-point land, marking the worst two-game stretch of three-point shooting in NBA playoff history.

Despite Golden State’s struggles against Houston’s double-big lineup, Rudy Gobert was fairly awful and had a -10 plus-minus in 26 minutes. Julius Randle’s efficiency and defensive attention fell off a cliff, and Edwards only scored 23 points on 9-22 (40.9 percent) shooting.

As lopsided as the teams might look on paper without Curry, it's worth noting that the Timberwolves’ half-court offense was less efficient during the first round than the Rockets’ was. That could be an indication that the final result of the series misrepresented their level of ability in defensive grudge matches such as Game 1.

It will be crucial that the Timberwolves both knock down their triples and crash the glass, both of which are reliable ways to create winning margins in playoff basketball games. I trust Chris Finch to be an excellent coach, the same way I do Kerr, and have seen him make adjustments in the past, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t overwhelming pressure on his team to reverse their fortunes and secure a comfortable win before they head out on the road for Game 3.

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Warriors vs. Timberwolves Betting Pick

• Warriors vs. Timberwolves pick: Warriors +10.5 (-110) at BetMGM

Allow me to be clear and say that I expect the Timberwolves to win Game 2—but I don’t view a Warriors win as impossible. I also believe it will be a low-scoring game on account of the slow tempo and defensive focus.

High-spread, low-total games give a mathematical advantage to the underdog since every point is worth a greater percentage of the total available amount. The Warriors were also 59.1 percent ATS on the road and 58.1 percent ATS as underdogs.

All of that is to say that I’d take the Warriors on the spread here. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the Timberwolves win by 30, but I need to see them knock down their shots and routinely move the ball against this elite defense before I can count on that.

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How to Watch Warriors vs. Timberwolves on 5/8/25

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

• Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN

• TV: TNT/truTV/Max