NBA picks: Thunder vs. Timberwolves prediction, odds, over/under, spread, injury report for Saturday, Jan. 20
The top two teams in the Western Conference meet Saturday evening when the Oklahoma City Thunder (28-13) face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves (30-11) in a Northwest division clash. The Thunder are coming into this game off a win over the Jazz to snap a two-game losing streak, while the Timberwolves have ripped off four straight victories. This the third meeting between these sides this season. They split the first two contests.
Lu Dort is listed as questionable for the Thunder with an illness which ruled him out of Thursday’s game against Utah. The Timberwolves are clean on the injury front.
The Timberwolves are 3-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total coming in at 228.5. Minnesota is -148 on the moneyline while Oklahoma City is +124.
Thunder vs. Timberwolves, 8 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Timberwolves -3
Both sides won on their home floor so far in this season series, so it feels right to take the Timberwolves. Minnesota is 17-2 straight up at home this season, with an 11-6-2 ATS mark as the home team. The Thunder have also been good against the number this season with a 27-13-1 mark overall and a 11-8-1 mark as the road side.
The Timberwolves have covered the spread in six of their last eight games, including two covers as double-digit favorites. The Thunder also have two double-digit covers in their last eight games, but are 4-4 ATS thanks to a couple recent losses in Los Angeles. I like Minnesota to keep up its hot play at home and get a huge win over a rising Oklahoma City team.
Over/Under: Under 228.5
Minnesota is 21-19-1 to the over on the season while Oklahoma City is 25-16 to the over. The Timberwolves have one of the top defenses in the league and this tends to show up more at home, with the team going 7-11-1 to the over as hosts. The Thunder are 12-8 to the over as the away side.
The last time these teams met in Minnesota, the Timberwolves won 106-103. The game in Oklahoma City was a 129-106 result in favor of the Thunder. I’ve got the Timberwolves winning this game, so I think it’ll be another low-scoring affair. Take the under in this contest.
