2026 NBA Playoffs Game 1 Showdowns: Can Raptors and Timberwolves Defy the Odds?

Sure, Nikola Jokić is clearly the best player in this series. However, their rosters are nearly equal in terms of talent, and the T-Wolves have a much better defense. They allowed the fewest 3-pointers per game during the regular season, and the Nuggets ranked 21st in defensive rating and had the worst defensive TOV%. 

Meanwhile, Denver needs PG Jamal Murray to be a superstar, and Minnesota has two of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA: Anthony Edwards and wing Jaden McDaniels. 

Lastly, I’m fading the line movement headed towards Denver because the NBA market hasn’t been sharp in my experience. I consistently get “closing line value” with my NBA bets and have been getting crushed in the past two seasons. The Nuggets opened as -5.5 favorites and have been steamed up to -6.5 at the time of writing. 

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