Wolves' Game 1 Upset Triggers Major Shift in Series Betting Odds Against Spurs

When the Timberwolves-Spurs second-round series was set, Minnesota opened as massive +950 betting underdogs, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. After Anthony Edwards surprisingly played in Game 1 and the Wolves pulled off the upset, the betting odds have nearly been turned upside down.

At +950 odds, Minnesota had an implied probability around 9.52% to win the series. When it was revealed that Edwards was going to play on Monday night, the odds were nearly cut in half to +460, which gave them an implied probability of around 17.86% to win the series.

San Antonio was originally favored to win Game 1 by 13.5 points, but that line closed at 10.5 with Edwards in the lineup. After Minnesota's upset win, their odds to win the series have come down all the way to +156, which is an implied probability of 39.06%. And they're now 9.5-point underdogs for Game 2 on Wednesday night.

Wolves' series betting odds timeline

Sunday: +950
Pregame on Monday: +460
After Game 1: +156

It's a good thing that the games are decided on the court, because the oddsmakers were not giving the Wolves much of a chance at all over the weekend. We saw how valuable Edwards can be to this team's success when he's not even 100% healthy. We also continued to see that Minnesota is one of the most undervalued teams in the NBA.

There is a lot more that goes into setting betting odds at a major sportsbook than just a team's chances of winning, but it's clear that the Wolves were severely undervalued again, with or without Edwards in the lineup.

The pressure has completely shifted towards San Antonio heading into Wednesday night's Game 2. Edwards has the opportunity to get healthier, and Minnesota could still get Ayo Dosunmu back into the lineup.

The Wolves had a disappointing regular season, but back-to-back runs to the Western Conference Finals and this year's start to the postseason reiterate that they're one of the most experienced playoff teams in the league. Head coach Chris Finch continues to elevate this team in the playoffs, and it's showing with results.

Whatever your thoughts about this series were a few days ago, they should probably change, and a massive shift in betting odds reflects that opinion.

Team odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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