Kings vs. Timberwolves: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions

Kings vs. Timberwolves Odds

On Monday, the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves will meet at the Target Center. Entering play, Sacramento (27-21) owns the third-best record in the Western Conference, with Minnesota (27-25) trailing them by two games in the standings. Oddsmakers are expecting a tightly-contested affair between these two teams to begin the new week, pricing the Kings as 1-point road favorites on the spread.

Sacramento Kings

Contenders or pretenders?

Since Jan. 9, Sacramento is 7-3 and has outscored their opponents by 10.0 points per 100 possessions – the best mark in the entire NBA in that stretch. However, their seven wins in that span are hardly impressive, having beaten the Magic, Rockets (twice), Spurs, Lakers, Thunder, and the short-handed Grizzlies.

According to ESPN, the Kings are 16-5 against teams with a losing record this season, but only 11-16 against teams that are .500 or better.

Lacking identity

In 21 road games this year, Sacramento is 11-10. In those contests, they rank 17th in opponent field goal percentage, 15th in opponent free-throw attempts per game, and 19th in rebound percentage. Defensively, this team lacks a defining quality – they are not elite on the boards, they do not excel at generating turnovers, nor do they do anything else at an elite level. At this point in the campaign, they are a paragon of mediocrity, even if their record is slightly inflated as a result of their dominance against weak opponents.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Towns OUT

Since Karl-Anthony Towns last played on November 28, the Timberwolves are 17-14 overall, having outscored their opponents by 1.2 points per 100 possessions. However, they have been much tougher at home than on the road.

In 17 home games during that span, they are 13-4 and have outscored their opponents by 5.5 points per 100 possessions. In 10 home games during the month of January, Minnesota is 9-1 in their home building, with their lone defeat coming by one point to the Utah Jazz – a game in which the Timberwolves led by as many as 11 points.

Anthony Edwards a bonafide superstar

Though he continues to escape the attention of the national media, there is little doubt that Anthony Edwards is one of the premier players in the NBA. Across his last five games, he is averaging 34.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on 54.2% shooting from the floor and 54.2% shooting from beyond-the-arc. Facing a mediocre Sacramento defense on Monday, he is likely to stay hot to begin the new week.

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Kings vs. Timberwolves – Picks & Predictions

Simply, the Kings are one of the most overrated teams in the NBA at the moment. Sacramento has the second-worst win percentage against teams with a .500 or better record of any team currently holding a playoff position in the Western Conference. Playing on the road against a Minnesota team that has been dominant at home in recent weeks – the Timberwolves are the smart play in this spot. It is notoriously difficult for a team to win back-to-back games against the same team, but Minnesota is capable of getting the job done on Monday.

PICK: Timberwolves ML (+100, MGM)