Minnesota Timberwolves have fourth-worst odds to make playoffs in the West

Now that we’re at the end of August, the majority of the offseason dust has settled, and we have a fairly clear picture of what the landscape of each conference looks like.

The oddsmakers are putting out lines and over/unders, and that means that it’s time to (over)react to where the Minnesota Timberwolves land in each category.

Minnesota Timberwolves have fourth-worst odds to make playoffs in the West

Over at Wynnbet, the Wolves have the fourth-worst odds when it comes to making the playoffs in the rough-and-tumble Western Conference.

Or, put another way, Minnesota ranks No. 12 among the 15 teams in the West.

The teams that the Wolves are ahead of? No surprises here: the Houston Rockets (+1500), Oklahoma City Thunder (+1500), and San Antonio Spurs (+800). (Quick aside on betting terminology, +800 odds means that it is 8-to-1 that the Spurs make the playoffs, or a $100 bet would pay out $800 if the Spurs make the dance.)

The Wolves clock in at just +550 to make the playoffs and are heavy favorites to miss the postseason at -900.

It’s understandable that the Wolves would be favored as less likely to make the playoffs, but check out the odds of the teams that Chris Finch’s crew finished just behind. The Sacramento Kings (+450) and New Orleans Pelicans (+150) are both favored to miss the playoffs, but that’s it.

Surprisingly, the Memphis Grizzlies clock in at -105 to make the playoffs and -116 to miss, meaning that one would have to lay $105 to make $100 on the Grizzlies making the playoffs.

It’s important to note that the Portland Trail Blazers don’t have a line on Wynnbet currently, which is no doubt due to the volatile situation surrounding superstar Damian Lillard. Otherwise, the usual suspects are all heavy favorites to make the playoffs. The Philadelphia 76ers, on the other hand, do have a line, which is surely because they would be expected to make the playoffs with or without Ben Simmons, while the Blazers’ playoff chances hinge entirely on Lillard.

The fact that the Wolves rank behind the Kings and significantly behind the Pelicans is a bit of a surprise, but at this point, it’s far from a shock.

We’ve already covered how low the Wolves placed in ESPN’s recent post-free agency power ranking, as well as David Aldridge’s offseason moves rankings at The Athletic.

Vegas agrees with those websites at this point, but we’ll see how quickly that line could shift if the Wolves get off to a hot start in October.