Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Preseason Game Prediction and Preview

The Minnesota Timberwolves will face the Denver Nuggets in one of three preseason games slated for Saturday. This will be the first preseason game for both teams, and it will tip off at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.

The Timberwolves are banking on Anthony Edwards’ development to build on their success from 2024-25 after a fairly quiet offseason. The team hasn’t shuffled things around much apart from the addition of Johnny Juzang.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, have had a busy summer, acquiring Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., Cameron Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas. Last season, with a core of Michael Porter Jr., Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, the team took the Thunder to seven games in the conference semifinals.

As most preseason games go, expect David Adelman and Chris Finch to hold their star players to limited minutes on Saturday.

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Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Preview, Predicted Starting Lineups and Prediction

Moneyline: Timberwolves (+118) vs Nuggets (-137)

Odds: Timberwolves (+2) vs Nuggets (-2)

Total: Timberwolves -110 (u221.5) vs Nuggets -110 (o221.5)

Editor's note: The odds could change closer to tipoff, as the odds listed were based on available information at the time of writing.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Preview

The Nuggets' offseason approach to offense shows that the team is trying to equip Nikola Jokic with the best possible roster to contend. Denver has acquired noteworthy two-way players and plenty of firepower through their dealings, as the team looks stronger than last season.

Considering that Jokic is fresh off a EuroBasket campaign, expect to see limited minutes out of him on Saturday. Jamal Murray is also likely to be a limited part of the action against Minnesota.

Meanwhile, Chris Finch is expected to take a similar approach with Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle, giving Johnny Juzang and the bench more of an opportunity to impress on Saturday.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Predicted Starting Lineups

Timberwolves

PG: Mike Conley | SG: Anthony Edwards | SF: Jaden McDaniels | PF: Julius Randle | C: Rudy Gobert

Nuggets

PG: Jamal Murray | SG: Christian Braun | SF: Cameron Johnson | PF: Aaron Gordon | C: Nikola Jokic

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Prediction

The Denver Nuggets are the favorites to win Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but it could go either way. Minnesota dominated the regular-season series against Denver last season, winning all four matchups, so an upset could very well be in the cards on Saturday.

Our prediction: Timberwolves to win

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

Know More

Timberwolves Nation! You can check out the latest Minnesota Timberwolves Schedule and dive into the Timberwolves Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.

Edited by Sameer Khan

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Preseason Game Prediction and Preview | Oct. 4, 2025