Timberwolves vs. Celtics Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Sunday, March 22

Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics have an outside shot at the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with Cade Cunningham now injured for the Detroit Pistons, and the C’s find themselves as favorites on Sunday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Wolves are just 5-5 in their last 10 games and have slipped to the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference as a result. Anthony Edwards (knee) remains out of the lineup on Sunday, and that’s a major reason why oddsmakers are giving the Timberwolves a slim chance of winning this game.

Boston has won four games in a row to keep the New York Knicks at bay for the No. 2 seed, and the C’s advanced numbers continue to look like those of an NBA Finals contender. Boston is third in net rating, second in offensive rating and fourth in defensive rating in the 2025-26 season.

With Jayson Tatum (Achilles) back in action, Boston has surged to No. 2 in the odds to win the NBA Finals this season behind only the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Let’s take a look at the betting odds, a player prop to consider and my prediction for this showdown on Sunday night.

Timberwolves vs. Celtics Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Timberwolves +9.5 (-102)
Celtics -9.5 (-118)

Moneyline

Timberwolves: +300
Celtics: -380

Total

219.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Timberwolves vs. Celtics How to Watch

Date: Sunday, March 22
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
Venue: TD Garden
How to Watch (TV): NBC, Peacock
Timberwolves record: 43-28
Celtics record: 47-23

Timberwolves vs. Celtics Injury Reports

Timberwolves Injury Report

Anthony Edwards – out
Naz Reid – questionable
Enrique Freeman – out
Rocco Zikarsky – out

Celtics Injury Report

Jaylen Brown – probable
Nikola Vucevic – out
Max Shulga – questionable
Amari Williams – questionable
John Tonje – out

Timberwolves vs. Celtics Best NBA Prop Bets

Timberwolves Best NBA Prop Bet

Julius Randle 20+ Points (-159)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why I’m betting on Randle to have a big game with Anthony Edwards sidelined:

A lot has fallen on Julius Randle’s plate for the Minnesota Timberwolves with Anthony Edwards out of the lineup.

In his last three games without Edwards, Randle has scored 32, 21 and 19 points, taking 17, 10 and 16 shots in those games.

Historically, Randle has matched up well with Boston, averaging 24.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game over his last 10 games against the C’s. He’s scored at least 20 points in eight of those matchups, including two of his three games against Boston as a member of the Wolves.

This season, Randle is averaging 21.2 points on 15.2 shots per game. While he hasn’t shot the 3-ball well (31.4 percent), he’s still made over 48 percent of his attempts from the field. He’s worth a look against a Boston team that lacks frontcourt depth with Nikola Vucevic sidelined.

Timberwolves vs. Celtics Prediction and Pick

Boston is eyeing a fifth win in a row on Sunday, and it’s heavily favored with Edwards (knee) out of the lineup.

The Wolves are 8-5 without Edwards this season, but they’re just 5-5 in their last 10 games and 15-17 against teams that are .500 or better in the 2025-26 season.

So, this is a prime spot to back Boston, which is 24-10 straight up at home. While the C’s are just 14-15 against the spread as home favorites, they’ve posted an average scoring margin of +9.0 points in those games.

Minnesota is just 18th in the NBA in net rating (-0.9) over its last 10 games, making it a tough team to trust without its best player. The Wolves won the first meeting between these teams back in November, but the C’s are a much different team now with Tatum back in the fold.

I’ll trust Boston to take care of business at home, as the Wolves are just 5-6 against the spread road dogs in the 2025-26 season.

Pick: Celtics -9.5 (-118 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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