The San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves headline Sunday’s NBA action.
The pregame narrative: Victor Wembanyama has turned things around following a slow start and I predict another high-scoring performance from the Frenchman. I’m adding in prop picks on Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert to craft a +340 SGP.
Check out my Spurs vs. Timberwolves same-game parlay predictions for Dec. 29.
Spurs vs. Timberwolves predictions
Go to full NBA betting markets
Parlay: Wembanyama over 23.5 points + Edwards over 24.5 points + Gobert over 0.5 steals (+340)
Wembanyama over 23.5 points (-136): The second-year phenom fell short of this point total in his last game but finished with 24-plus points in six of the seven games prior.
Wembanyama finished with 19 points against the Brooklyn Nets but took his fewest shot attempts (14) since Nov. 7.
The 7-foot-5 Wembanyama spends most of his time on the perimeter, so Minnesota’s elite rim protection isn’t much of a concern.
In fact, Wemby takes more 3s (9.4) than 2s (9.3) per game. It’s a thin margin, but it highlights how much of an anomaly he is.
I’m a firm believer that Gobert struggles against more mobile bigs. In his most recent game, opposing centre Alperen Sengun had 38 points and shot 64.0% from the field.
SGP legs
Edwards over 24.5 points (-143): I’m buying in on Edwards right now as I think a string of strong performances is imminent.
The explosive guard topped this total on Christmas Day and then went under against the Rockets on Friday. He finished just shy with 24 points but shot 9-for-17 from the field and 4-for-8 from deep.
Minnesota’s offence was on fire that night, shooting 51% and hitting 21 of its 43 attempted 3s.
Edwards didn’t need to carry the offence but that’s rarely the case. He’s just one of two players on the T-Wolves who averages more than 13.0 PPG.
This is also a matchup Edwards can take advantage of. The Spurs allow the sixth-most points to SGs (23.8) per game, according to Fantasy Pros.
Gobert over 0.5 steals (-205): This leg has the shortest odds but for good reason.
Gobert has been excellent against this line lately, recording a steal in 10 of the last 12 games.
San Antonio commits the 10th-most turnovers per game (15.0). Additionally, Wembanyama averages 3.6 turnovers a night and Gobert will be his primary defender on Sunday.
Picks made at 11:24 a.m. ET 12/29/2024
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.