The Dallas Mavericks will get another chance to close out the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals when the teams collide in a pivotal Game 5 matchup on Thursday at the Target Center in Minneapolis. In Game 4 on Tuesday, the Timberwolves avoided a sweep with a 105-100 victory in Dallas. 

Tip-off for Game 5 is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET. SportsLine consensus lists Minnesota as a 5-point favorite in the latest Timberwolves vs. Mavericks odds while the over/under for total points scored is 209.5. (See up-to-date odds for every game this week on our NBA odds page.) 

Before making any Mavericks vs. Timberwolves picks or NBA playoff predictions, you NEED to see what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model entered the conference finals in the 2024 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 94-61 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,800. Anyone following has seen huge returns.

The model knows that Minnesota has been clutch when facing elimination this postseason. The Timberwolves are 3-0 in games when a loss would've sent them home for the summer. That includes two wins in the Western Conference semifinals against the reigning champion Denver Nuggets when Minnesota was down 3-2 in the series.

The model also knows that Luka Doncic has been an elite playmaker for Dallas during the playoffs. In the postseason the do-it-all point guard has led all players, averaging 9.1 assists per game. He also ranks eighth in scoring (28.3 points per game) and ninth in rebounding (9.6). In Game 4 on Tuesday he had a triple-double, with 28 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.

The model has simulated Game 5 of Timberwolves vs. Mavericks 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations.

Who wins Mavericks vs. Timberwolves in Game 5 on Thursday, and which side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the spread you should be all over, all from the model on a 94-61 roll on top-rated NBA picks!