The set-up: The Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves have each played 81 games and both will go into their final game of the regular season with identical records of 46-35. Simply put, the winner will move on to play this weekend in the first round of the 2018 NBA playoffs, while the loser begins its off-season on Thursday morning. The Timberwolves were in third place in the Western Conference at several points this season and could still finish as high as fifth with a win on Wednesday and some help, or they could miss the playoffs. That would be a devastating finish to a season in which the franchise looked like a 'lock' to qualify for the postseason for teh first time since 2004, not that long ago. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are full of confidence coming in, as they overcame an 11-point, second-half deficit to earn an 88-82 victory on Monday over Portland, holding the Blazers to 13 points in the fourth quarter. The victory was Denver's sixth in a row, while the T-wolves come in 4-4 over their last eight games.

Denver: Center Nikola Jokic, the team's leading scorer (18.2), rebounder (10.7) and assist-maker (6.1). He has been the team's 'driving force,' scoring 15 points, adding 20 rebounds and handing out 11 assists in Monday's win for his second straight triple-double and 10th of the season. He is averaging 23.7 points, 16.0 rebounds and 8.2 assists during the six-game winning streak. More good news for Denver is that shooting guard Gary Harris (17.6) returned from an 11-game absence due to a kne injury on Monday and was eased back into the rotation with 12 points in 18 minutes off the bench. Behind Jokic and Harris, five more Denver players are averaging in double digits, while the 6-10 Lyles just misses at 9.9 PPG.

Minnesota: All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler's return helped the T-wolves picked up wins in the last two games. Butler played 23 minutes against the Lakers and the Grizzlies and averaged 16.5 points while going a combined 10-of-18 from the floor. Butler (22.0-5.3-4.9) leads a terrific starting-five which includes Towns (21.2 &12.3), Wiggins (17.7 & 4.4), Teague (14.2 & 7.0 APG) and Gibson (12.2 & 7.4).

The pick: The Nuggets snapped a four-game losing streak in the series with last Thursday's 100-96 win in Denver but can only make the postseason by earning its first victory in Minnesota since Nov. 3, 2016. The Nuggets are surely peaking at the right time (six straight wins, overall) plus note that Denver has covered seven straight and 11 of its last 12 games in Minneapolis. Expect another close game and more to the point, a low-scoring one. Make the Under a 10* play.