Pelicans vs. Timberwolves NBA expert prediction and odds for Wednesday, Jan. 3

The New Orleans Pelicans picked up a blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night, and now they are back in action on the road against the West’s top team – the Minnesota Timberwolves – on Wednesday. 

Minnesota lost on New Year’s Day against the New York Knicks, but the team is looking to bounce back against a New Orleans team that is just 2-2 ATS on the second night of back-to-backs this season. 

The Wolves have lost just one game at home all year, and oddsmakers have them favored on Wednesday night. 

Let’s dive into the odds and my best bet for this matchup: 

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Pelicans injury report

Timberwolves injury report

New Orleans Pelicans

Brandon Ingram: New Orleans won in a blow out against Brooklyn on Tuesday, so Ingram and other starters were able to rest. This is a much tougher matchup on Wednesday against the No. 1 defense in the NBA. BI and Anthony Edwards should be fun to watch going head-to-head…

Minnesota Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards: This is a no-brainer, as Edwards is playing some great basketball, pushing his season average to 26.3 points per game after scoring 31 and 35 points in his last two outings. The Wolves would love a big game from Ant to get back in the win column. 

While I am tempted to take the Wolves to cover since they have been so good at home, I think the UNDER is the best bet in this game. 

New Orleans is one of the better UNDER teams in the NBA, hitting it in 18 of 34 games this season. Plus, both of these teams are elite defensively. 

The Wolves come into this game with the No. 1 defensive rating in the NBA, and the Pelians are in the top 10 this season, ranking seventh in the same category. 

Over Minnesota’s last five games, three have fallen short of this number. With the Pels potentially sitting players on the second night of a B2B, I don’t mind an UNDER play between two strong defenses. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.