Today's NBA Best Bet: Back The Streaking Timberwolves Against The Pelicans
It's been a struggle over the past few days in the NBA, but the reality is we're just one game away from laying the foundation for another winning streak of our own. As a result, I'll look to target a team I've had some success fading this season. Let's head to New Orleans, where the Pelicans will host the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New Orleans Pelicans, Moneyline, Total and Odds
Moneyline: Timberwolves -158 | Pelicans +134
Spread: Timberwolves -3 (-112) | Pelicans +3 (-108)
Total: Over 226.5 (-110) | Under 226.5 (-110)
NBA Championship Odds: Timberwolves +16000 | Pelicans +50000
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook today and get your first bet risk-free for up to $1,000.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New Orleans Pelicans, News, Analysis, and Picks
The Minnesota Timberwolves are streaking at the moment as they come into this contest with four straight victories. What's been impressive about their play is that three of the four wins were by at least double-digit points. As for the Pelicans, they might still be celebrating their 101-96 home victory over the Golden State Warriors five days ago. However, a closer look reveals that the Warriors played that game without the services of both Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Thus, I think the Pelicans are a bit overvalued as just a three-point underdog in this spot.
While New Orleans is somewhat comparable to Minnesota in scoring, the two sides are much further apart if you assess them defensively. New Orleans ranks 25th in defensive efficiency as it's allowing 109.3 points per 100 possessions. In contrast, Minnesota's seventh in this category, with opponents scoring 104.7 points per 1oo possessions.
Three-point shooting will be critical in this matchup as the Timberwolves rank fifth with 14.1 three-pointers per game. That number's even up to 14.7 over their past three outings. And with the Pelicans ranked 26th with 11.3 three-pointers on the year and just 10.1 over the past three, New O could find itself in some trouble on Tuesday night.
I went back and checked the box score for the game against the Warriors, and I found that G-State only made seven three-pointers in the game with Curry sidelined. That should provide even more reason to back the Timberwolves in this spot.
A quick look at the trends reveals that the Timberwolves are on a 4-0 ATS run in this series when facing the Pelicans on the road. Furthermore, Minnesota's on a 7-0-1 ATS stretch when they're on the road against a team that's below .500 at home. With both trends active tonight, lay the points with the road favorites.
Pick: Timberwolves (-112)
All NBA predictions and picks are courtesy of SportsGrid.
