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NBA Futures: Timberwolves, Nuggets see odds take a hit

ESPN · Apr 27, 2026, 5:17 PM · Also reported by 2 other sources

Key takeaways

  • The combination of game result and injuries had a dramatically negative impact on both teams' odds to win the NBA Finals.
  • The other notable result Saturday came from the Orlando Magic beating the Detroit Pistons to take a 2-1 series lead.
  • Elsewhere, the top of the NBA Finals odds board generally tightened up after the weekend.

Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.

The loss of Anthony Edwards put a damper on the Timberwolves' championship odds. AP Photo/Abbie Parr Doug Greenberg Apr 27, 2026, 12:03 PM ETMultiple Authors Email Print Open Extended Reactions Saturday's Game 4 between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves proved to be one of the most fateful contests of the NBA playoffs thus far. The Timberwolves beat the Nuggets to take a 3-1 series lead back to Denver, but they lost starting guard Donte Di Vincenzo for the rest of the postseason due to a torn Achilles tendon and will be without superstar Anthony Edwards for multiple weeks because of a bone bruise and hyperextension of his left knee, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The combination of game result and injuries had a dramatically negative impact on both teams' odds to win the NBA Finals. Denver has lengthened all the way to 22-1 after entering the postseason at +850, while the key injuries to Minnesota moved the Timberwolves to 200-1 despite coming into Saturday's showdown at 60-1 and pulling out a win.

The other notable result Saturday came from the Orlando Magic beating the Detroit Pistons to take a 2-1 series lead. The result lengthened Detroit to 28-1 for the title after it had entered the fray at 22-1, while Orlando moved to 250-1, its shortest championship odds of the postseason thus far. That said, the Pistons are still -125 favorites to win the series, with the Magic checking in at +105.

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