Minnesota Timberwolves vs. San Antonio Spurs Game 1 Preview, Picks & Odds for Monday, May 4, 2026

By Braxton Reynolds | May 04, 2026, 3:07pm

Game 1 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs is set for 9:30 p.m. Eastern on NBC Sports. Donte DiVincenzo is sidelined for the series after suffering a torn Achilles, while Ayo Dosunmu is questionable to play.

As for Anthony Edwards, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that “Edwards is expected to play in Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs barring any setback pregame. Just 9 days removed from his left knee injury, and after the team had expected him to return midseries, Edwards has received medical clearance and will get the final sign-off after his pregame routine.”

Timberwolves vs. Spurs Betting Analysis

Minnesota pulled off a stunning upset in the first round by defeating Nikola Jokić’s Nuggets despite dealing with injuries to Edwards, DiVincenzo, Dosunmu, and Kyle Anderson.

Rudy Gobert showed why he’s a 4x Defensive Player of the Year, as the big man was mainly responsible for holding Jokić to a 44.6 FG%. Jaden McDaniels also locked up Jamal Murray while contributing 17.8 points per game. McDaniels’ trash talk during a post-game interview after Game 2 is now the stuff of legends because he backed it up on the court – “Go at Jokić, Jamal, all the bad defenders, Tim Hardaway, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, the whole team. Just go at them. They are all bad defenders.”

Meanwhile, San Antonio took care of business against Portland in the first round. Victor Wembanyama averaged 21 points, 8.8 rebounds, and four blocks per game in his first career playoff series. Wembanyama’s defense was suffocating, as the Blazers only scored 98.5 points per 100 possessions (excluding garbage time) with him on the court.

Dylan Harper also flashed his tremendous upside. The rookie averaged 12.6 points per game on 56/50/80 shooting splits and made an all-around impact. Excluding garbage time, San Antonio outscored Portland by 21.9 points per 100 possessions with Harper on the court. This was the best mark on the team among the six players who logged at least 100 minutes played. If Harper continues to be a steady presence off the bench, then Minnesota is in trouble.

The best bet for Game 1 is taking Julius Randle to score a maximum of 20 points. The Spurs’ defense is very physical, and Wembanyama’s presence inside the paint is a game-changer. It will be difficult for Randle to consistently succeed playing bully-ball.

Timberwolves vs. Spurs Best Bet, Pick & Prediction

Best Bet: Julius Randle U20.5 Points (-118)
Score Prediction: Spurs 113, Timberwolves 107

Timberwolves vs. Spurs Game Odds

Timberwolves vs. Spurs Game Information

Date: Monday, May 4, 2026
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
Network: Peacock
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Venue: Frost Bank Center – 230.4 ppg; 17-24 O/U
Series Score: Tied 0-0

Timberwolves vs. Spurs Betting Resources

Timberwolves vs. Spurs Key Players

Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards – Last Game: 5 points, 3 rebounds, 0 assists
Julius Randle – Last Game: 18 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists
Jaden McDaniels – Last Game: 32 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists

Spurs

Victor Wembanyama – Last Game: 17 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists
De’Aaron Fox – Last Game: 21 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists
Stephon Castle – Last Game: 15 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists

Braxton Reynolds

Braxton has been covering the NBA for Lineups since the 2022 season. He's worked with multiple collegiate coaching staffs regarding analytics and scouting, which has allowed him to understand the game on a deeper level. Braxton also currently writes about the Oklahoma City Thunder for Thunder Roundtable.