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This Saturday, the (35-35) Minnesota Timberwolves will travel to Toronto, ON to take on the (34-36) Toronto Raptors. Tipoff will be at 7:00 PM EST inside the Scotiabank Arena. This will be the second meeting between these two teams this regular season, as the Timberwolves won the last battle, 128-126.
The Timberwolves are coming into this one after falling to the Boston Celtics, 104-102 and then losing in double overtime on Friday at Chicago. They struggled on the offensive end of the court, as they will have to be more efficient in this one if they want to bounce back on the road.
The Raptors are entering this game after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 128-111. They looked superb on the offensive end of the court, as they will have to stay hot in this one if they want to take care of business at home.
Yesterday's Best Bet cashed, as I am (36-19-1) in my last 56 Best Bets. Now, I've picked a side in the Oilers vs. Kraken game, as I can't wait for this game to start! Hop on my Saturday NHL Best Bet and I will see you back in the GREEN!
This game was written/published before last night's results.
Can the Timberwolves Make a Run?
The Minnesota Timberwolves are currently in seventh place in the Western Conference standings, as they are 12 games back from the first-place Nuggets. They are also (4-6) in their last 10 games played. On offense, they are scoring 115.5 points per game and they have shot 49.1% from the floor. This is the 12th most points scored per contest and the third-highest team shooting percentage. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Timberwolves have the 24th-highest adjusted offensive rating in the NBA. Anthony Edwards continues to lead the way on the offensive end of the court, as he is scoring 25 points per game on 46% shooting from the floor. But, he was injured in last night's game and won't be able to perform in this one. Minnesota has also shown that they have a few players that can consistently knock down shots from behind the arc. They are shooting 35.8% from deep, which is the 16th-highest three-point shooting percentage in the NBA. Unfortunately, they have not taken advantage of their trips to the charity stripe, as they have only knocked down 76% of their shots at the line. This is the 23rd-highest free-throw shooting percentage, as they can't miss out on these free points and still expect to win these games.
On the defensive end of the court, the T-Wolves are holding their opponents to 115.6 points per game and they have shot 46.8% from the field. This is the 18th most points surrendered per game and the 11th-lowest shooting percentage allowed. According to dunksandthrees.com, Minnesota has the 11th-lowest adjusted defensive rating in the NBA. They have shown that they will consistently contest shots near the rim, but their perimeter defense has continued to lack. They are allowing their opponents to shoot 37% from deep, which is the 23rd-highest three-point shooting percentage allowed. The Minnesota Timberwolves are also averaging 41.5 rebounds per game, which is the 24th most.
Injury Report: Naz Reid C (Calf), Rudy Gobert C (Ankle), and Austin Rivers PG (Back) are all questionable. Karl-Anthony Towns C (Calf) and Jaylen Nowell SG (Knee) are out. Anthony Edwards SG is also OUT (Ankle)
Can the Raptors Stay Strong at Home?
The Toronto Raptors are currently in ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings, as they are 16 games back from the Milwaukee Bucks. They are also (5-5) in their last 10 games and they've won two games in a row. On offense, they are scoring 112.8 points per game and they have shot 45.6% from the floor. This is the 23rd most points averaged per contest and the 27th-highest team shooting percentage. Pascal Siakam continues to lead the way on the offensive end of the court, as he is scoring 24.2 points per game on 47.2% shooting from the floor. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Raptors have the 11th-highest adjusted offensive rating in the NBA. Toronto has shown that they are more successful when they are attacking the basket, as they have only knocked down 33.9% of their shots from deep. This is the 28th-highest three-point shooting percentage allowed, as they have to close out on open jump shooters if they want to battle in these games. Luckily, Toronto has been slightly better at the charity stripe, as they have made 78.2% of their shots at the line. This is the 18th-highest free-throw shooting percentage in the NBA, as they have to take advantage of their trips to the line.
On the defensive end of the court, the Raptors are allowing 112.1 points per game and their opponents have shot 49.2% from the floor. This is the sixth least amount of points surrendered per game, but the 28th-highest shooting percentage allowed. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Raptors have the 16th-lowest adjusted defensive rating in the NBA. They have struggled to contest shots near the rim, but their perimeter defense hasn't been much better. Toronto is forcing their opponents to shoot 37.7% from deep, which is the second-highest three-point shooting percentage allowed. The Toronto Raptors are also snatching 42.9 rebounds per game, which is the 18th most in the NBA.
Injury Report: Christian Koloko C (Nose) and Dalano Banton SF (Thumb) are questionable. Otto Porter Jr.SF (Toe) is out.
Best Bets for this Game
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
I am going to ride with the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road and I am going to take the points (+6.5). Minnesota has the advantage on the defensive end of the court, as they won't allow the Raptors to score enough points to cover this spread. According to dunksandthrees.com, Minnesota has the 11th-lowest adjusted defensive rating and they are holding their opponents to the 11th-lowest shooting percentage from the floor. They will pressure the Raptors all night and keep them from scoring enough points to cover this spread. Toronto is only scoring the 23rd most points per game and they have the 24th-highest adjusted offensive rating. They will go cold at different points in this game, which will allow the Timberwolves to keep this game within the spread. I also see the Timberwolves having success on the offensive end of the court, as they are scoring the 12th most points and they have the third-highest team shooting percentage. Yes, Edwards is out. But, they will continue to get the ball down low and efficiently score throughout this game.
Pick the Minnesota Timberwolves and take the points (+6.5).
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Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
I am going to take the over in this matchup, as I see both of these teams consistently scoring throughout. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Timberwolves have the seventh-highest adjusted tempo rating. They will sprint the ball up the court and look to score in transition as often as they can, as this will allow both teams to take enough shots to push this total over the number. I haven't been overly impressed by these defenses either. Minnesota is allowing the 18th most points per game and they've continued to struggle to defend on the perimeter. The Raptors will get hot and score enough points to push this total over the number. But, the Timberwolves will score the majority of the points that we need, as they like to push the ball and this Raptors' defense doesn't worry me. They are allowing the 28th-lowest shooting percentage and they only have the 16th-lowest adjusted defensive rating. Neither defense will get consistent stops in this game.
Pick the over and expect an offensive battle.
