Timberwolves vs. Heat NBA odds: Can Giannis Antetokounmpo outduel LaMelo Ball and be a winner in Miami debut?
This page may contain affiliate links. If you click a link and sign up, make a deposit, place a wager, or make a trade, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
LaMelo Ball and the Timberwolves open the season at Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Heat
• 4 min read
The first full night of NBA action is Wednesday, with 11 games on the schedule, and there are interesting storylines from just about all of them. But I think the marquee game is clearly Timberwolves vs. Heat as All-Star LaMelo Ball makes his debut with Minnesota and All-Star and former league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo makes his first regular-season start with Miami. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Heat favored by 1.5 points at home, and the Over/Under for total points is set at 242.5. Claim the best Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55, trade $25, and receive a $55 bonus here:
This is the first game of an ESPN doubleheader -- Warriors-Lakers is the late game (of course) -- with a 7:30 ET tip. At -1.5 via DraftKings, Miami is taking 53% of bets but only 31% of handle. The very high total of 242.5 is taking a solid Under lean.
Fans interested in NBA betting can keep up with NBA news and follow our experts to be prepared before wagering at any of the top sports betting apps. Bet on NBA props and more at DraftKings and get $200 in bonus bets plus three free months of NBA League Pass:
Timberwolves vs. Heat NBA same-game parlay
- Miami money line
- Giannis Antetokounmpo to score 25+ points
FanDuel SGP price: +134 (subject to change)
In most offseasons, the biggest story would have been a two-time MVP like Antetokounmpo being traded to Miami along with very solid sixth man Bobby Portis Jr. for Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis and a bunch of draft picks. Giannis became only the fourth player with multiple MVPs to switch teams before age 32 after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone and LeBron James.
I'm not all that enthused about that trade, although you understand why the Heat had to go star-hunting after missing the playoffs last year for the first time since 2019. That despite averaging a franchise-best 120.9 points per game, the second-highest average in the NBA.
Bettors aren't all that enthused about it, either. For example, the Heat have a win total of 46.5 at BetMGM and no team is taking more Under win total money in the NBA (Pistons and Lakers are next).
That also could be because bettors not expecting Giannis to stay healthy, as he has reached 70 games once in the past seven seasons. He played a career-low 36 in 2025-26 and averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Great numbers, but also his fewest across the board since at least 2017-18, although the Greek Freak did shoot a career-high 62.4% from the field.
Giannis, +1400 to win a third MVP, is set with an Over/Under PRA of 46.5 tonight for his debut. Since the Heat used nearly all of their major assets to get him, they otherwise just added around the edges, led by veteran guards Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. Both can still sling it, as they were two of 22 players league-wide a season ago to make at least 200 three-pointers.
Note that the Heat already have one injury concern with All-Star big man Bam Adebayo, who has been dealing with a groin injury but practiced Monday and will play. Adebayo was one of just five players in the league last season to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and three made three-pointers per game. And had that memorable 83-point game on March 10. Adebayo has posted a double-double in a season opener four different times, the most in franchise history. He's -107 for one tonight. Bet on NBA futures with the Caesars Sportsbook promo code CBSSPORTSBR250 and double your winnings on 10 bets:
Minnesota is set at 48.5 wins for this season and getting mixed action at BetMGM after landing Ball for draft picks and shipping out Naz Reid and Julius Randle in a multi-team transaction. That certainly weakens the team's frontcourt depth but makes for an electric backcourt of Ball alongside Anthony Edwards and last season's trade addition Ayo Dosunmu.
Ball was largely a gunner with Charlotte, taking at least 20 shots per 36 minutes in each of his last four seasons with the Hornets. He made a career-high 272 3-pointers in 2025-26 because Ball finally stayed healthy in playing 72 games after averaging only 35 in each of the previous three seasons. Maybe Ball will be a different guy in the Twin Cities, as in four preseason games with the Timberwolves, he took a total of 27 shots and handed out 23 assists. Ball is set at Over/Under 28.5 points + assists here.
Edwards might be worth a longer-shot look to be your scoring champion after putting up a team-record 28.8 PPG last year and now with Ball to set him up. Edwards is the only No. 1 overall pick to ever increase his scoring average in each of his first six seasons. He's set at O/U 28.5 points tonight.
Keep in mind that the Wolves will play most if not all this season without starting guard Donte DiVincenzo after he tore his Achilles' tendon during the playoffs. Good defender. Claim the best Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55, trade $25, and receive a $55 bonus here:
The Timberwolves are on a three-game winning streak in this series, taking both by at least 10 points last season. But Miami is 16-9 all-time in home openers. And I always prefer teams in home openers where possible. The model has Heat by a score of 120-116 and Giannis with 31.1 points. Check out other expert picks in the SportsLine daily newsletter.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.