Timberwolves vs Rockets Prediction

Houston Rockets (17-15) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (24-9)

Game Info: Friday, January 5, 2024 at 8:00 pm (Toyota Center)

Betting Odds: Houston Rockets +3.5 -- Over/Under: 220.5

The Minnesota Timberwolves invade the Toyota Center to take on the Houston Rockets on Friday night. Here’s a Timberwolves vs Rockets Prediction.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been in fine form as they've won seven of their last 11 games overall, but they will be hoping to avoid a third straight defeat here after getting beaten by the Pelicans in a 117-106 loss on Wednesday. Anthony Edwards led the team with 35 points and five assists on 11 of 22 shooting, Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 points while Jaden McDaniels chipped in with 11 points but no other player scored more than eight points. As a team, the Timberwolves shot just 45 percent from the field and 10 of 31 from the 3-point line as they struggled to match the intensity of the Pelicans from the start and fell into a 23-point hole before they finished with a flurry to keep the final scores respectable.

Houston Rockets

Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets have been in decent shape as they've won four of their last seven games overall and they will be aiming for a third straight win after routing the Nets in a 112-101 win on Wednesday. Alperen Sengun led the team with 30 points, eight rebounds and four assists, Fred VanVleet added 21 points with 10 assists on seven of nine shooting while Jalen Green chipped in with 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists. As a team, the Rockets shot 48 percent from the field and an efficient 19 of 39 from the 3-point line, but they couldn't gain any separation until they dominated the third quarter by 38-25 to pull away and win comfortably.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Rockets rank 1st in the league for opponent assists per game this season (23.5).
• The Rockets rank 1st in the league for opponent three-point percentage this season (32.7%).
• The Timberwolves rank 1st in the league for opponent points per game this season (107.8).
• The Timberwolves rank 30th in the league for field goal attempts per game this season (84.1).

Timberwolves vs Rockets Prediction

The Timberwolves come into this one as the team in better form, but they were thoroughly outplayed by the Pelicans in their last outing, while the Rockets are starting to heat up again following an easy win over the Nets on Wednesday. I can see why the Timberwolves are favorites on the road as they've been the better team overall, but the Rockets are a sneaky good 14-5 at home and I think they can pull off the upset if the Timberwolves get off to another slow start. This should be a close one, but I'll side with the Rockets at home.

The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.