The Minnesota Timberwolves have turned the corner in their development and seem to be a shoo-in as a playoff team in the Western Conference after a nice start. They will aim to make a statement with a home this week over fellow conference power the Oklahoma City Thunder. While neither team is in the stratosphere that the Warriors, Rockets and Spurs preside, they are on that next tier.
Oklahoma City has the bigger star power but the Timberwolves have been the superior team this season. Add in the home court advantage and it seems like Minnesota will be the team to beat in this showdown. Oklahoma City could use the win to claw closer to the T-Wolves in the standings.
Don't miss the hardwood action from Target Center at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 10, 2018. Catch every moment of the game live on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Wednesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Timberwolves are 25-16 straight up and 18-21-2 against the spread. Minnesota is 7-12-1 against the spread at home on the season. The T-Wolves are 12-15-2 attempting to cover as the favorite.
The Thunder is 22-18 straight up and 16-24 against the spread, underachieving relative to expectations so far this season. Oklahoma City has covered in seven of 20 tries on the road this year. The Thunder has covered in their only three games as the underdog this season.
Previous Meetings
Wednesday will mark the fourth time that the Thunder and the Timberwolves have met this season. Minnesota won the first two matchups, but Oklahoma City won the most recent showdown on December 111-107.
Paul George was the difference-maker in the Thunder’s win over Minnesota last month, finishing the game with 35 points and nine assists. Steven Adams added another 27 points for OKC and Russell Westbrook had a near-triple double with 15 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds in the victory.
Karl-Anthony Towns has played great against the Thunder this season, combining for 83 points and 40 points in the three matchups thus far. He finished with 33 points and 19 rebounds in Minnesota’s 119-116 win on October 27th and should be a player to watch in this matchup.
Key Stat
101.2. That’s how many points per game the Thunder has allowed opposing offenses this year. Oklahoma City ranks third in the NBA with that mark, but has struggled to keep teams from scoring as of late.
Oklahoma City started the season looking strong on defense — holding 11 of 20 opponents to less than 100 points in October and November. Included in that stretch was the Thunder’s 108-91 win over a high-scoring Golden State Warriors team on November 22nd
As proven by their 2-1 record against the Thunder this season, Minnesota is a team who can challenge Oklahoma City’s defense, however.. The Timberwolves are averaging 108 per game and finished with 115, 119, and 107 points in the three previous meetings against the Thunder.
Free NBA ATS Picks
Minnesota has announced itself as a legitimate force in the West behind burgeoning superstar Towns. The Thunder has a good team but playing on the road is never easy. Oklahoma City has gone just 8-12 overall away from home this season and has a tough matchup here.
Take the Timberwolves to come away with this victory, which will help create some distance from the Thunder in the standings. That is crucial because Minnesota is currently the No. 4 seed in the West and it would love to have home court advantage in the first round.
The “under” could be a possibility in this one as there may not be as much scoring as in the previous matchups. Watch the spread but OKC could be a good choice to cover.
NBA Odds: Timberwolves 103, Thunder 100
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