Minnesota Timberwolves vs Sacramento Kings preview and prediction | Oct. 24, 2024

The Sacramento Kings host the smarting Minnesota Timberwolves at the Golden 1 Center on Thursday (Oct. 24). The Timberwolves continue their road trip after starting their NBA 2024-25 campaign with a loss 110-103 loss to the LA Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena earlier this week.

The Kings, after a rather abysmal preseason that saw them lose all their five preseason games, will hope for a turnaround on their home turf.

The Kings made a major offseason move in acquiring veteran All-Star DeMar DeRozan. After finally ending their 16-year playoff season drought two seasons ago, the side has cemented itself as a legitimate postseason contender.

With a certified bucket-getter in DeRozan alongside franchise superstars De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, the Western Conference unit under head coach Mike Brown has switched their objective to a title.

Minnesota came off a bruising loss to the Lakers — a side that looked undervalued and unpredictable leading into the new season. Anthony Davis won the battle of the bigs against Rudy Gobert and the T-Wolves defense even as Chris Finch fiddled around to spark some frontcourt synergy with Julius Randle in the mix.

The good news for Minnesota is the issues they now have documented to prepare better for the game. Their offense still looks elite with Anthony Edwards picking up right where he left off last season. Their bench unit has looked formidable as well and they will feel more confident playing a Kings team that's under pressure to start their proceedings with a bang.

Both teams played each other thrice last season, with Sacramento winning the series 2-1. Head-to-head, Minnesota leads 68-62 in 130 regular season games.

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Minnesota Timberwolves vs Sacramento Kings preview, predicted starting lineups, odds, betting tips and prediction | Oct. 24, 2024

The Minnesota Timberwolves vs Sacramento Kings clash tips off at 10 pm ET. Local coverage will be on NBCSA and FanDuel Sports Network - North. The game can be live-streamed on Fubo TV and the NBA app with a subscription to the NBA League Pass.

Here's a quick look at the odds as listed at the time of writing:

Teams	Spread	Moneyline	Total (o/u)
Minnesota Timberwolves	-1.5	-120	o223 (-112)
Sacramento Kings	+1.5	+100	u223 (-108)

Note: Odds are subject to change closer to tip-off

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Minnesota Timberwolves vs Sacramento Kings preview

The Minnesota Timberwolves had quite a few issues when they played the Lakers. Their offense was stagnant and the lack of ball movement was a key problem. Their defense, elite last season looked rusty.

Julius Randle may have had 16 points on debut with this new team but did take his time after clattering the rim a few times. The points don't provide the whole picture as he struggled to pick the plan LA had for him.

Also having a forgettable game was veteran guard Mike Conley Jr., who went 1-7 from the field. Jaden McDaniels had an off night with foul trouble benching him after 16 minutes on the floor.

Rudy Gobert was on the receiving end of a Davis celebration after his attempt to get to the basket was swatted off by the Lakers superstar. To cap off their struggles, they turned the ball over 16 times and shot just 13 for 41 (31.7 percent) from beyond the arc.

The struggles though can be pencilled down to the fact that it was indeed Game 1 of their 82-game season. But there is no doubt that the team has work to do if they have to be in the top three fold they were in last season. Much depends on the course correction they make on Tuesday. Simplifying concepts is a way to go for the visitors when they play the Kings.

The Kings added more muscle to their frame this preseason. They did away with some role players for a big name in DeRozan who, despite a stellar CV is yet to win a ring. He wasn't able to get to the promised land when he was with the Chicago Bulls but has sounded optimistic throughout the offseason that this would be Sacramento's season.

The issue though is looking at DeRozan's defense and three-point production. While he makes up for it with his durability, his midrange sniping skills, and his clutch gene, the Kings will now have to rely on Fox and Malik Monk to knock down shots from downtown. The fit, clunky or seamless is something that will be determined throughout the season.

Then comes the exploitable defense with a lineup featuring Sabonis and DeRozan. Their efforts on that end of the floor will heavily depend on Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis, both of whom have been their best point-of-attack defenders. They head into the season heavy on offense, and sure it worked for the Dallas Mavericks last time, but will the same blueprint help the Kings?

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Minnesota Timberwolves vs Sacramento Kings predicted starting lineups

The Kings will most likely field their preseason lineup that features Keon Ellis and Keegan Murray in the lineup.

Position	Players
PG	De'Aaron Fox
SG	Keon Ellis
SF	DeMar DeRozan
PF	Keegan Murray
C	Domantas Sabonis

Sacramento Kings injuries: Orlando Robinson (knee) is out of the Thursday game vs T-Wolves.

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The Timberwolves will field the same side as they did against LA as they look for continuity and momentum.

Position	Players
PG	Mike Conley Jr.
SG	Anthony Edwards
SF	Julius Randle
PF	Jaden McDaniels
C	Rudy Gobert

Minnesota Timberwolves injuries: None

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Minnesota Timberwolves vs Sacramento Kings betting tips

Keep an eye out for DeRozan who is listed at -110 over ahead of the matchup. Sabonis is over -125. For Minnesota, Edwards is listed as under -104. Gobert is +100 over.

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Minnesota Timberwolves vs Sacramento Kings prediction

The Timberwolves can take advantage of the Kings if they can get their defense back on track. The Sacramento Kings will need to find a way to stop Edwards who has shown he can single-handedly takedown opponents' defense. This will be a test of the T-Wolves defense vs the Kings offense.