Minnesota Timberwolves vs Boston Celtics Preview, Odds and Best Bet for March 22

Danny Burke

Written by: Danny Burke

Last Update: Sun Mar 22, 2026, 1:15 pm ET

Read Time: 4 minutes

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Minnesota Timberwolves logo
FINAL
Boston Celtics logo

Minnesota Timberwolves

102

Boston Celtics

92
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Can the Boston Celtics keep the momentum rolling? Joe Mazzulla's crew is seeking its fifth straight win as it hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night.

With Anthony Edwards still out for Minnesota, can the Timberwolves pull off a major upset without their star, or will Boston continue its recent dominance? We'll break it all down below with our Timberwolves vs Celtics preview, odds and best bets.

For additional information on picks, props, moneylines, and more on today's slate, take a look at our NBA Picks Page or our NBA Odds Page.

Matchup Information
Location: TD Garden
Date: Sunday, March 22, 2026
Tipoff: 8:00 PM ET

Injury News and Notes
Anthony Edwards – Out
Naz Reid Questionable
Nikola Vucevic – Out

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Timberwolves vs Celtics Odds via Lucky Rebel

Spread: Celtics -10 (-111) | Timberwolves +10 (-109)

Moneyline: Celtics (-435) | Timberwolves (+325)

Total: Over 221 (-111) | Under 221 (-109)

Timberwolves vs Celtics Preview

It's been three games since Anthony Edwards last stepped on the hardwood, and during his absence, his teammates have held their own. Minnesota beat the Phoenix Suns 116-104, then crushed the Utah Jazz 147-111, before dropping a close one Friday night to a solid Portland Trail Blazers squad, 108-104.

Minnesota staying afloat without its star is commendable, but tonight's matchup will likely paint a much different pitcure.

The Celtics are firing on all cylinders right now and enter this game as 10-point favorites.

Boston, meanwhile, has its star in Jayson Tatum back in the lineup, and the results have followed. He's averaging 19.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists over his last seven games, fueling a 6-1 stretch.

Boston ranks top four in both offensive and defensive points per possession, while Minnesota sits 11th offensively and ninth defensively.

Since Edwards has been out, the Timberwolves rank 15th in offensive points per possession but fifth defensively. That checks out, given Edwards' efficiency profile. His offensive impact is strong, but his defensive metrics lag behind.

Edwards owns a +5.0 mark offensively, but a +6.8 mark defensively, which places him in the ninth percentile among his position group. In short, he can be a liability on that end.

Still, let's be real. For Minnesota to truly compete with a team like Boston, Edwards needs to be on the floor. Without him, it's hard to see them keeping pace, though they could still hang around keep this game within the number due to their defense improving and playing with an attitude of having a chip on their shoulder.

Timberwolves vs Celtics Best Bet

Let's target the aforementioned Jayson Tatum, who's been underperforming in one key area – three-point shooting.

Since returning, he's hitting under 30% of his attempts from beyond the arc, averaging 2.9 makes on 9.7 attempts per game. He's never shot below 34.3% from three over a full season in his career.

I'm expecting some positive regression here. Minnesota's defense is solid overall, but it ranks 16th in opponent three-point percentage.

It's a chalky price, but being able to get Tatum at 2.5 threes is a solid look, and one I'm willing to lay some juice for.

Best Bets:

Jayson Tatum Over 2.5 3-Pointers (-144)

NBA Record: 163-135-1 (+12.84 units)

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Danny Burke
Danny Burke

Danny Burke is a betting analyst with a decade of sports media experience. He got his start at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, sharing picks on the local ESPN affiliate. After college, he hosted shows for VSiN in Las Vegas before returning to Chicago to launch 'Rush Hour', the first daily sports betting show from an Illinois casino. He also co-hosted 'Props and Locks' on Fox32’s Bears pregame show and ran 'Bet On, Chicago' on WLS-AM 890.

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