The Minnesota Timberwolves have been dealt a major injury blow. Donte DiVincenzo is out indefinitely with a toe sprain and his absence will significantly affect his team’s backcourt rotation, as he was recently promoted into a starting role because of Mike Conley’s struggles. It’s unclear if Minnesota’s remaining guards can pick up the slack with DiVincenzo out of the picture for the foreseeable future, but let’s take a look at Minnesota’s betting outlook for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
The Timberwolves haven’t necessarily been a bad team this season. They rank ninth in the uber-competitive Western Conference standings with a 22-21 record. However, they thought they’d be in a much better place after a deep run to the Western Conference finals last season. Minnesota swapped Karl-Anthony Towns in a deal that brought in Julius Randle and DiVincenzo while keeping the rest of its core the same. That trade hasn’t worked out in the Timberwolves’ favor, though.
Randle has settled into the fact that he’s no longer a lead option in the NBA, but hasn’t been able to replicate KAT’s scoring, rebounding, or efficiency in Minnesota. Then there’s Conley, who’s having arguably his worst season to date. Conley is averaging 7.8 points and 4.2 assists on 35.7% shooting this campaign. All three of those figures are career lows. The Timberwolves are 18-15 with him as a starter and 4-2 with him coming off the bench in 2024-25. It’ll clearly take being a lot better than right above .500 to climb through the Western Conference in the postseason.
DiVincenzo is 4-4 as a starter with averages of 14.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists with Minnesota. He’s shot 42.1% from the field and 40.3% from deep in those contests. Replacing that will be a challenge given the Timberwolves’ schedule. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a capable perimeter defender who has scored at a high level sporadically in previous spots. Rookie point guard Rob Dillingham is an electric and creator, but his leash is short despite his impressive numbers. The Kentucky product is averaging 18.6 points and 6.5 assists per contest while shooting 50.7% from the field and 48.7% from long range per 36 minutes. A rookie and backup won’t be enough to take down the gauntlet ahead, though.
Best Bet: Timberwolves Under 45.5 Wins (+110, BetMGM)
Minnesota is plenty good without DiVincenzo, but his depth will be missed as a starter and reserve. The Timberwolves will play 25 games against teams that are .500 or better in their final 39 games of the regular season. Fifteen of those matchups will come against Western Conference opponents. Bettors should buckle down and double their money while there’s a chance. It seems unlikely that a less talented Minnesota squad will have enough success to crack 26 wins without putting together a very strong run after the All-Star break.
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