Griffin Wong previews tonight’s game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Minnesota Timberwolves with his favorite player prop bets.
The Atlanta Hawks and the Minnesota Timberwolves were both among the most-discussed teams around the NBA trade deadline, as the Hawks traded Trae Young to the Washington Wizards and both teams looked to be in play for Giannis Antetokounmpo until the Milwaukee Bucks eventually opted to keep him.
Ultimately, Minnesota made a small move on the margins, bringing in Ayo Dosunmu from the Chicago Bulls, and Atlanta increased its forward depth by replacing the injured Kristaps Porziņġis with Jonathan Kuminga and Jock Landale while adding shooters Buddy Hield, Gabe Vincent, CJ McCollum, and Corey Kispert.
The teams will meet tonight at 8 p.m. ET in Minneapolis.
Kuminga won’t yet be available to make his debut as he continues to recover from a bone bruise in his knee. The Hawks’ other major injury questions are Jalen Johnson (knee) and Dyson Daniels (ankle). Meanwhile, the Timberwolves will be completely healthy.
Minnesota is an 8.5-point favorite (-305 on the Moneyline) for tonight’s game, with the point total set to 237.5. Atlanta is +245 on the Moneyline. Below, I’ve laid out my three player prop bets.
Anthony Edwards 30+ Points (+106)
Edwards has had quite the hot start to 2026, averaging 30.5 points per game on 48-40-77 shooting splits and reaching the 30-point threshold nine times in 17 games, including in four of his last five. Though he only scored 23 points in the Timberwolves’ disappointing loss to the LA Clippers yesterday, it was predominantly the result of an atypically balky shot and not a cause for long-term concern. He should continue to play a large role in Minnesota’s guard rotation, especially since Mike Conley — traded in part to help acquire Dosunmu and re-signed after being traded twice and waived — has not yet re-joined the team.
Meanwhile, the Hawks have struggled defensively as of late, as the players they acquired for Young — Kispert and McCollum — aren’t much better defenders than Young, who hadn’t been playing much anyway. Since the trade, Atlanta ranks 12th-to-last in defensive rating, and Daniels, who undertook the primary Edwards assignment the first time these teams met, might not be 100% even if he is able to suit up. In the last 14 games, the Hawks have allowed among the most restricted-area tries and among the most midrange jumpers, and Edwards has shot 71.4% from the restricted area and 44.7% from the midrange.
Dosumnu had a pretty quiet Timberwolves debut, as he finished with just 11 points on four-for-11 shooting, but what’s most encouraging is the fact that he played 25 minutes, just 1.4 fewer than his average with Chicago. He ended his Bulls tenure on quite the playmaking roll, dishing out four or more assists in four of his final five games with the team, and though some of his impressive ball-handling numbers were a result of him starting, he’s had at least four dimes 15 times off the bench. Upgrading from Chicago’s mediocre shooters to Minnesota’s elite ones should make up for the difference of playing 84 fewer seconds.
As just noted, Atlanta isn’t a team well-equipped to stop opponents from putting the ball in the basket. Though the Hawks have been somewhat better in the passing lanes, allowing the 10th-fewest assists per game across that span despite their weak defense and ranking near the top of the league in deflections overall, the Timberwolves have the length to bother some of Atlanta’s, especially in jumbo lineups featuring three of Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, Naz Reid, and Rudy Gobert. Recently, the Hawks have also played several teams that don’t pass the ball as frequently as Minnesota does, with 11 of their last 14 games coming against teams who attempt fewer passes per game.
Zaccharie Risacher 2+ Three-Pointers Made (+123)
Risacher had arguably his two best games of his sophomore season on January 5 and 7 before going down with a bone bruise in his knee, scoring 16 and 25 points. After three consecutive quiet performances upon his return, he was strong in Atlanta’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, making all four of his three-point attempts and scoring 18 points. He’s not the most consistent player, and Quin Snyder seems hesitant to ever play him for more than 25 minutes, but two three-pointers isn’t a very high bar and he could have a slightly larger role if Johnson or Daniels is compromised.
The Timberwolves have such strong interior defense, allowing the fifth-lowest percentage within five feet, that opponents are sometimes incentivized to shoot. In particular, Minnesota has been only mediocre at losing out on opposing shooters, allowing a slightly above-average number of wide-open threes. Risacher isn’t a lights-out shooter, but 37.0% on wide-open threes is a fairly respectable mark.