Bet on Nuggets to even series in Game 2 against Timberwolves in WCSF matchup

Remember when Warriors coach Steve Kerr boldly claimed last season that Jamal Murray was the “head of the snake” for the Denver Nuggets, not Nikola Jokic?

It seems as if Tim Connelly, who helped construct this Nuggets team before heading to Minnesota, believes that to be the case, too.

With special thanks to Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves held Murray scoreless in the first half of Game 2, allowing him to finish with just 17 points on 6-for-14 shooting from the field.

Meanwhile, Jokic posted 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and Denver still failed to eclipse 100 points.

It took an incredible effort from Edwards and the rest of the Timberwolves to knock off Denver on its home floor, where it had a 13-1 record in the playoffs since the beginning of last year’s postseason.

Can the Wolves do it again in Game 2 on Monday night in Denver, or will the Nuggets exact revenge and even up the series?

Let’s get into our Game 2 prediction in this enthralling Western Conference semifinals matchup.

Odds via FanDuel

(10:00 p.m. ET Monday, TNT)

In Game 1, Edwards posted his third consecutive awe-inspiring road performance, carving up a hobbled Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the Nuggets on his way to a 43-point, seven-rebound outing on 17-for-29 shooting from the field.

However, KCP is not the only player who has been a recent victim of Edwards’ heroics. In his past three road playoff games, Edwards has averaged 39.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists on a 56/44/89 shooting split.

Still, I expect a negative regression in the Timberwolves’ shooting percentages as a team in Game 2 after converting 71% of their second-half shots on Saturday..

What will happen when Denver coach Mike Malone forces the ball out of Edwards’ hands on the offensive end of the floor?

» READ MORE: Back the Pacers covering as underdogs vs Knicks in Game 1 of ECSF

Minnesota does not have the offensive firepower outside of Edwards to keep up with Denver, a team that still had an impressive team shooting split of 47/42/80 in Game 1 despite the Wolves’ best defensive effort and Murray’s slow start.

Can we expect Edwards, Karl Anthony-Towns, Mike Conley and Naz Reid to combine for nearly 61% field-goal shooting against the defending champions on the road again, especially considering that many of those looks were in the mid-range and not open 3s or layups? Unlikely.

While Murray could continue to struggle with McDaniels or Alexander-Walker glued to him all game (and with the calf injury that has been bugging him), I expect the Nuggets to have a more concerted defensive effort on forcing the ball out of Edwards’ hands.

Murray will be hard to hide defensively, but the Nuggets are familiar with this challenge. They have had to get creative with their defensive schemes before.

Denver should pull away in the second half and cover for us. I’ll lay 5.5 points with a championship team in a must-win game at home.

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