NBA picks: Timberwolves vs. Thunder prediction, odds, over/under, spread, injury report for Tuesday, Dec. 26

Everyone is in. The Thunder are 1.5-point favorites and the total is 230. I like OKC as the ATS pick and the over on the total.

Two of the best teams in the Western Conference this season will face off Tuesday evening as the Minnesota Timberwolves (22-6) visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (18-9). These were not the teams many expected to see at the top of the conference as 2023 winds down, but both the Timberwolves and Thunder have seen big improvements from their young stars. They met once earlier this season with the Timberwolves grabbing a 106-103 win.

Karl-Anthony Towns is listed as questionable for Minnesota with a knee injury. Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams are both questionable for Oklahoma City.

The Thunder are 2-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total sitting at 228. Oklahoma City is -130 on the moneyline while Minnesota is +110.

Timberwolves vs. Thunder, 8 p.m. ET

Pick ATS: Thunder -2

These have been two of the better teams against the number, as evidenced by their strong record. The Thunder are 18-8-1 ATS, while the Timberwolves are 15-11-2 ATS. Oklahoma City is 10-5 straight up at home, which is also its ATS mark. Minnesota is 7-8 ATS as the road team this season, and 2-4 ATS as the road underdog.

The first matchup between these teams saw Anthony Edwards leave with a hip injury but he’s good to go for this one. Towns being out would impact the Timberwolves more than Giddey and Williams being out for Oklahoma City. I like the Thunder to get a victory tonight in an important contest for both teams.

Over/Under: Over 228

Even though the Timberwolves are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, they are actually 15-13 to the over this season. The Thunder rank fifth in points per game, and that has led to a 16-11 trend to overs. The Thunder have gone over in 66.7% of their home games, and Minnesota’s defense takes a decent hit on the road. I like this game to go over 228, although Towns, Giddey and Williams’ statuses could impact this line.