Short-handed Timberwolves return home to face Bucks after loss to Wembanyama and the Spurs

The Minnesota Timberwolves come home Monday night to face the Milwaukee Bucks. They are 4-3 after a 121-111 loss in San Antonio on Saturday, when Victor Wembanyama scored 43 points. According to ESPN, Wembanyama also had seven rebounds, six blocks and four assists, and he shot 17 of 34 from the field. San Antonio has now won four straight.

Minnesota played that game on the second night of a back-to-back and without two starters. Yahoo Sports reported that Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert were both out, with Gobert dealing with back spasms. TalkBasket.net listed Edwards' absence as the result of knee surgery. The reports reviewed for this story did not say whether either player will be available against Milwaukee.

The Wolves stayed close for a long stretch even without them. Ayo Dosunmu led Minnesota with 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting and nine rebounds. Jonathan Kuminga and Jaden McDaniels scored 19 each. Joan Beringer started in Gobert's place and had 12 points and six rebounds in 34 minutes. A 16-0 run in the second quarter gave Minnesota a 51-46 lead, and the Wolves led by one at halftime. LaMelo Ball's foul trouble decided the second half. He picked up his fourth foul before the break, his fifth came during a 13-4 Spurs run to open the third quarter, and he fouled out with 3:43 left. He finished with 10 points in 20 minutes.

What it means for Monday against Milwaukee

Over seven games, the Wolves have outscored opponents by 79 points. They average 120.0 points and allow 108.7, so their record looks worse than their scoring margin. Their results lately have been mixed. They are 2-3 in their last five games. The two wins were blowouts of Toronto and the LA Clippers, 127-101 on Friday. The three losses came by 10, 5 and 2 points, at San Antonio, at home to Golden State and at Cleveland. At Target Center they are 2-1, and the only home loss was to the Warriors. CBS Minnesota confirmed Monday's home date with the Bucks.

The prices make Minnesota a clear favorite despite the injuries. On the board for this game, which covers 12 venues, Novig has the Wolves at -400 on the moneyline and Milwaukee at +388. That price implies roughly an 80 percent chance of a Minnesota win. On the spread, the Wolves are favored by 10.5 points. Novig has them at -106, and the best price anywhere is -105 at theScore Bet. Milwaukee's side shows the widest spread among venues. Novig offers the Bucks +10.5 at +104, while Pinnacle has the best number at +11, priced at -108.

The total is 234.5 at Novig, with the over at -100 and the under at -106. BetRivers has the over at 232.5 for -114, so the venues differ by two points on the total. That number is above Minnesota's usual games: the Wolves and their opponents have combined for an average of about 228.7 points this season. Sportsbook hold ranges from 2.9 percent to 5.0 percent across the spread and total markets.

The main question before Monday is who will be available for Minnesota. If Edwards and Gobert are still out, the Wolves will again need big minutes from Dosunmu and Beringer. Ball also has to stay out of foul trouble, which cost Minnesota in San Antonio. Season results and schedule are on the Timberwolves team page.