ESPN Predicts Western Conference Finals: Dallas Mavericks Vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

The basketball experts are split on what should be a tough and physical series for both the Mavericks and Timberwolves

Jan 7, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) looks to move the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley (10) during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Mavericks are starting the Western Conference Finals tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves, with predictions for the series flying in. The Mavericks didn't have many supporters against the Clippers before winning that series, then the opinion was split 50/50 for the Thunder series. So what did ESPN predict for the Western Conference Finals against the Timberwolves?

Of the 15 analysts polled for ESPN, 9 have the Timberwolves winning and 6 picked the Mavericks, with everyone having the series go at least six games. Some of the analysts who picked the Wolves include Ramona Shelburne, Marc J. Spears, Kendra Andrews, and Andre Snellings. Tim Bontemps, Tim Legler, Israel Gutierrez, and Bobby Marks are on the list of analysts who picked the Mavs.

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They also predicted Conference Finals MVP: 8 chose Anthony Edwards, 5 chose Luka Doncic, 1 chose Kyrie Irving, and 1 chose Jaden McDaniels (presumably because he's likely to be the primary defender on Doncic). The Conference Finals MVP is a new award that started in the 2022 Playoffs; Golden State's Stephen Curry won the inaugural award for the West after beating the Mavs in 5 games.

This seems to be the consensus everywhere, with the Timberwolves picking up the majority of predictions at around a 60:40 split. The Wolves are the small betting favorites for the series, but Dallas has been the underdog in every series so far and has come out on top.

Luka Doncic's health may be the deciding factor in this series, as he's dealing with knee and ankle issues. He played better in the final two games of the Thunder series, but that was still the worst playoff series he's ever had (still averaged 24.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 8.7 APG on 44.7/39.1/73.7 shooting splits). The Timberwolves may not have much experience at this stage of the postseason but they're mostly healthy and have their own young phenom in Anthony Edwards, who has made big plays in the Playoffs.

Game 1 will start at 7:30 p.m. CST from the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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