Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Philadelphia 76ers Prediction, Preview, and Odds
It’s a battle of teams solidly on the right side of the playoff picture in an interconference tilt in the City of Brotherly Love on the hardwood. The Minnesota Timberwolves are on the road as they make the trip to take on the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night. Minnesota rallied to earn a 112-108 road win over Miami in their previous contest Monday night, covering the line as a two-point favorite. Philadelphia was upended 108-104 at home by the Bulls Monday night, losing outright as a 10.5-point favorite, in their previous game. In the all-time regular season series between the teams, the 76ers own a 33-32 advantage but it was the Timberwolves prevailing 112-99 at home in the first meeting this season on November 22.
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Minnesota Timberwolves Looking to Stay Hot
Minnesota won their third straight and their ninth in the last 10 games as they rallied to down Miami down in South Beach Monday night. The Timberwolves entered Tuesday 20-5 on the season and held a three-game lead on the Thunder in the Northwest Division. They held the top spot in the Western Conference playoff picture by that same three-game margin over the Thunder. Against Miami, Minnesota trailed by 11 after the opening quarter, by 17 in the second quarter, by 12 at the half and by six after three quarters. The Timberwolves rallied as they outscored the Heat 35-25 in the final stanza to earn the win. Minnesota shot 49.4% from the floor, including 11 of 29 from three-point range, and held a 45-40 advantage on the boards. Anthony Edwards finished with 32 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals in the win to lead the Timberwolves.
For the year, Minnesota is 18 in the league in scoring offense with 113.5 points per game. The Timberwolves stand 8 in rebounding by pulling down 45.5 boards a contest while they are 15 in assists by handing out 25.9 dimes a contest. Minnesota has been above average on the defensive end of the floor as they are 1 in scoring defense by allowing 105.9 points per game. Anthony Edwards leads the team in scoring as he averages 24.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per contest. Karl-Anthony Towns (22.2 points, 9.5 rebounds), Mike Conley (11.3 points, 6.2 assists), Rudy Gobert (12.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.4 blocks) and Naz Reid (13.6 points, 4.6 rebounds) are decent secondary options on the offensive end of the floor. Jaden McDaniels (9.5 points), Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kyle Anderson, Shake Milton, Troy Brown Jr. and Jordan McLaughlin are part of the rotation. The Timberwolves are 8 in the league in field goal percentage as they hit 48.3% from the floor as a team. Minnesota is 20 by splashing 12 three-pointers a night while the team is 7 in three-point shooting by hitting 38% from beyond the arc.
Clark (Achilles) is expected to be out until mid-February after suffering an injury while still at UCLA.
Philadelphia 76ers Hoping to Bounce Back
Philadelphia saw their six-game win streak snapped as they were upended by the Bulls at home in their previous contest Monday night. The 76ers entered Tuesday 18-8 on the season and stood second in the Atlantic Division, 2.5 games behind the Celtics for the top spot. They were third in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, that same 2.5 games behind Boston for the top spot while they were 3.5 games clear of the Heat to remain in a guaranteed playoff spot. Against Chicago, Philadelphia led 16-4 early only to trail by one after the opening quarter. The 76ers trailed by 11 at the half and by 12 after three quarters only to rally to take an 89-87 lead with 6:28 remaining. Philadelphia gave up a 10-0 run to trail 97-89 and couldn’t get even again as they took the loss. The 76ers shot 43.2% from the field, including 11 of 32 from three-point range, and hit 17 of 19 at the line in the loss. Joel Embiid led Philadelphia with 40 points and 14 rebounds in the loss.
On the year, the 76ers are 4 in the league in scoring offense with 122.2 points per game. The 76ers are 5 in rebounding as they collect 45.8 rebounds per contest while they are 14 in assists by dishing out an average of 26 dimes a night. Philadelphia is 7 in the league in scoring defense as they allow an average of 110.9 points a contest. Joel Embiid leads the 76ers as he puts up 34.4 points, 11.8 rebounds and six assists per contest this season. Tyrese Maxey (25.8 points, four rebounds, 6.7 assists), Tobias Harris (16.3 points, six rebounds), Kelly Oubre Jr. (13.7 points, 4.3 rebounds) and De’Anthony Melton (11.9 points, 3.5 assists) are solid secondary options. Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Paul Reed, Jaden Springer, Danuel House Jr., Furkan Korkmaz, Patrick Beverley, Marcus Morris Sr. and Mo Bamba are rotation pieces for coach Nick Nurse. Philadelphia is 9 in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 48.2% from the floor as a team this season. The 76ers are 18 in threes per game as they drain 12.3 triples a contest while they are 8 in three-point shooting by connecting on 37.9% of their attempts from beyond the arc.
Batum (hamstring) has been ruled out for this contest. Morris Sr. (illness) and Covington (illness) are both questionable for this contest so watch for updates on their statuses heading toward tip-off.
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Best Bets for this Game
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This is a marquee matchup ahead of the holidays and it should be well worth the price of admission. Minnesota leads the Western Conference standings while Philadelphia is third in the Eastern Conference heading into this game. Philadelphia is an explosive offensive team, ranking fourth in the league in scoring offense but they have to contend with a Timberwolves team that leads the league in scoring defense this season. The 76ers are a solid home team but we just saw them get upended by the Bulls at home. It’s clear that the Timberwolves are a few rungs up the ladder from Chicago at this point in time. Give the advantage to Minnesota as they find a way to steal one here.
Prediction: Minnesota Timberwolves +4
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Minnesota has seen the over post a 13-12 mark in their 25 games in relation to the total this season entering this contest. The Timberwolves do need to improve in their ball control as they are 24th in the league in turnovers with an average of 15 per contest this season. Minnesota is slightly below the league average in tempo as they stand 19th by averaging 98.5 possessions a night this season. Philadelphia has seen the over post a 16-9-1 mark in their 26 games this season. The 76ers have gone over the mark in seven of their last 10 games, though they enter the game with three straight unders. Philadelphia is in the middle of the pack when it comes to tempo this season, ranking 13th while averaging 99.4 possessions a night while they are 5th in turnovers with 13 per contest. With neither team running and gunning, this one could be a defensive struggle as the Timberwolves lock down opposing teams. Lean toward this game falling short of the total.
Prediction: Under 225
Chris King has been immersed in the world of professional and collegiate sports for more than three decades. Whether it's playing pickup games or being involved in organized sports to being a fan, he's checked all the boxes. From the NFL to arena football, the NHL to the KHL, the NBA to the WNBA to college hoops, and even MLB to the KBO. If it's out there, he's covered it and bet on it as well, as Chris has been an expert bettor in his career. Before joining Winners and Whiners back in 2015, his work appeared around the internet and in print. He's written books for Ruckus Books about college basketball, the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, golf, and the World Cup. If you're looking for the inside track on hitting a winner, do yourself a favor and read what Chris has to say.
