Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Miami Heat Picks and Predictions, Saturday, January 3rd, 2026
Use Code WWWC The Minnesota Timberwolves (21-13) and the Miami Heat (19-15) will tip off on Saturday afternoon in a non-conference battle in this Timberwolves vs. Heat prediction. This is the first of two matchups between these teams this season. Minnesota is coming off an ugly loss in Atlanta, falling 126-102 as 5.5-point favorites. Miami is fresh off a strong road win over Detroit, taking the game 118-112 as 4.5-point dogs. Tipoff is set for 5:00 EST from the Kaseya Center in Miami. Keep reading to see our Timberwolves vs. Heat prediction, and check out all of our winning NBA Picks
Minnesota Continues Their Road Trip
The Minnesota Timberwolves are in the midst of a four-game road trip against Eastern Conference teams as they head down to Miami for this weekend afternoon battle. They began their trip with a win in Chicago, before dropping their second game in Atlanta, and will head to Washington after this one to conclude their journey. Minnesota has been average on the road so far this season, posting just a 9-7 record off of their home court. In their last game, Anthony Edwards dropped 30 points but it was not enough to carry the team to a win in Atlanta.
Edwards is their superstar shooting guard and former number one overall pick, and the 24-year old looks to continue on his early success to push his team to a deep postseason run. He is currently scoring 29.1 PPG, which is 8th best in the NBA, to go with his 5.0 RPG and 3.6 APG. Edwards is their top shooter from the outside, making 3.3 threes per game on 39.6% shooting from beyond the arc. Edwards has led the team in scoring in six of their last seven games, with Naz Reid adding a 33-point performance against the Bulls to break the streak. Reid is a strong scoring presence off the bench averaging 14.0 PPG with an inside out game. Julius Randle puts up consistent numbers, he is getting 22.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 5.3 APG.
Jaden McDaniels is a lockdown defender on the perimeter getting 14.8 PPG, while Donte DiVincenzo and Rudy Gobert round out the rest of the starting lineup. Minnesota is ranked 9th in offensive efficiency and 5th in defensive efficiency according to dunksandthrees.com. The T-Wolves play at an average pace, ranking 14th in the league in possessions per game.
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Heat Win Four Straight
The Miami Heat are red hot coming into this home game against Minnesota, as they have won each of their last four games. Their recent stretch included some strong wins, as they just defeated Denver and Detroit in back to back games. Miami is currently 7th in the Eastern Conference standings, and wants to get out of the constant rut of being in the Play-In Tournament come postseason time. In their recent win over the Pistons, Miami was led by Norman Powell with 36 points in the victory.
Powell continues to be one of the most underrated players in the league, and is still hoping to get into his first All-Star Game. He has a strong case again this year, as he is averaging 24.2 PPG as Miami's top scorer on a potentially playoff bound team. Powell is also their top outside shooter with 2.9 made threes per game on 40.5% shooting from the outside. Tyle Herro is their other big time scorer, but the injury bug has caught up to him again as he will miss this game with a toe injury. Herro has not played since December 9th. Bam Adebayo is listed as questionable with a back issue, but if he plays he brings another 17.7 PPG and 9.7 RPG while being the defensive anchor of the team.
Jaime Jacquez Jr. is questionable with a thigh contusion, putting more pressure on Andrew Wiggins to score as the veteran wing is getting 16.5 PPG this year. Miami is ranked 19th in offensive efficiency and 6th in defensive efficiency. Miami has been the fastest team in the league this season, ranking 1st in possessions per game.
Injury Report for Timberwolves vs. Heat:
Timberwolves:
- Out: Terrance Shannon Jr.
Heat:
- Out: Tyler Herro
- Questionable: Bam Adebayo, Jaime Jacquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, Pelle Larson
Timberwolves vs. Heat Picks and Predictions
Spread pick for Timberwolves vs. Heat
- Timberwolves -2.5 (5 units)
The recent outcomes of these teams' games has lowered this number more than it should be, as the value will definitely be with Minnesota in this one. Miami won their last four games, but they are still only the 7-seed in the East, and their win over Denver isn't as impressive as it looks considering Jokic and Porter did not play. Miami will be without Herro, but also have four other important players listed as questionable. The Heat rely on Adebayo to make his presence known in the middle, but he has a lingering back injury, and will have to go up against Gobert, Randle and Reid on the inside who are all healthy. Edwards will easily outscore Powell, making this a clear bet for the T-Wolves.
Take Minnesota to cover.
Over/Under Pick for Timberwolves vs. Heat
- Under 238.5 (4 units)
Miami typically plays fast, but that will not be an option here against this physical Minnesota team. This article has already discussed all the injuries Miami is dealing with, most notably the loss of Tyler Herro, but Miami knows they cannot get in a track meet with Minnesota given their current roster construction. Minnesota will want to slow the game down, and Edwards scores more in the halfcourt than he does in transition. Their advantage is going to be on the inside with Randle and Reid, especially if Adebayo cannot play with his back injury. Minnesota has gone under in seven of their last nine games, expect another under here.
Take the under.
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