The Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t just on track to make the playoffs this year, but they could make some noise once there. A team in a perennial rebuild has finally taken a leap forward this season after the acquisition of Jimmy Butler and is pressing hard for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
Minnesota will aim to keep the pressure on the Spurs with a win early next week against the Sacramento Kings. The Timberwolves will be the road team in the matchup, which always makes it tough, but it has the clear talent advantage.
Minnesota will likely be favored to win a game that could really help it in the standings as the season hits its stretch run.
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Odds Analysis
The Timberwolves are 36-25 straight up and 28-31-2 against the spread. Minnesota has gone 13-16-1 against the spread on the road this season. It is 18-21-2 against the spread as the underdog.
The Kings are 18-39 straight up and 25-29-3 against the spread. Sacramento has covered in 10 of its 25 home games this season. The Kings are 22-25-2 against the spread as the underdog.
Scheduling Situation
The Timberwolves got a nice break during All-Star weekend, but it faces a challenging schedule coming out of the break. Minnesota returns to the court in Houston against the Rockets, who currently have the best record in the NBA and will be hard to beat.
The T-Wolves have to return home the very next day to play the Bulls, and then get only one day of rest before this game across the country in Sacramento. All told it is three different games in four days in three different cities.
The Timberwolves did have a decent break but it is late in the season already and it’s possible the team’s legs are affected by so much action and travel in a short period of time.
Player To Watch
Bogdan Bogdanovic - Sacramento is once again in rebuild mode but has started accumulating some interesting young talent, including the foreign shooting guard. Bogdanovic is averaging 11.5 points and 3.2 assists on the season, shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from three-point range in this his rookie season with the Kings.
Bogdanovic scored 26 points in the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend and hopes to play a big role for Sacramento down the stretch. The Kings are badly in need of a star after shipping away DeMarcus Cousins last season and between Bogdanovic and De’Aaron Fox, there are a couple of legitimate options.
While Sacramento is still a ways away from competing, there do at least seem to be some building blocks in place in the backcourt.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Timberwolves have the best player on the court in Karl-Anthony Towns, and are starting to feel like they have a legitimate shot at winning a series or two in the playoffs. While Minnesota isn’t in the same stratosphere as the Warriors or Rockets, it has a solid club and should be able to keep pressing forward with a win in this game.
Check to see where the spread comes in when deciding which way to go against the spread. It’s possible the Timberwolves are the right choice even though they should be the favorite. Minnesota scores quite a bit but the Kings can sometimes struggle putting the ball in the hoop. If the Timberwolves have a comfortable lead late they could take their foot off the gas, making the “under” a consideration.
NBA Odds: Timberwolves 107, Kings 100
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