The Milwaukee Bucks (35-21) travel to face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves (39-16) on Friday, February 23rd. This game will be played at Target Center in Minneapolis and televised on ESPN. The Timberwolves are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Bucks are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Trail Blazers. Tip-off is set for 10:00 ET.

Bucks vs Timberwolves

The Bucks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Bucks is coming off a loss to the Grizzlies in their latest game, ending with a score of 113-110. The first half ended in a tie, but the Bucks lost the second half to the Grizzlies 56-53.

As the Bucks get ready to take on the Timberwolves, they have an above .500 record of 35-21. Currently, they are 3rd in the Eastern Conference and are sitting 2nd in the Central division.

Milwaukee’s ATS record sits below .500 (21-35). In their last three road games, Milwaukee has been unable to cover the spread, and they hold an ATS record of 9-17 on the road as opposed to 12-18 at home.

The Timberwolves Are Coming Off A Win

The Timberwolves’ most recent matchup against the Trail Blazers saw Anthony Edwards lead the Timberwolves with 34 points while shooting 12/21 from the field. Karl-Anthony Towns also contributed 23 points as the Timberwolves won by a score of 128-91 vs. the Trail Blazers.

With a 39-16 overall record, the Timberwolves have won four straight games and are looking to build on that today. In non-conference games, they are 12-8 compared to 27-8 against Western Conference opponents.

Minnesota is currently performing above .500 against the spread with an ATS record of 29-25. When playing on the road, the Timberwolves hold an ATS record of 16-14 in contrast to a 13-11 record against the spread when playing at home.

Bucks Offense Breakdown

For the season, the Milwaukee offense is the 2nd ranked unit in the NBA, at 122 points per contest.

When it comes to scoring, the Bucks have been one of the best teams in the NBA this season, ranking 2nd in the league with an average of 122 points per game. However, in their last seven games, they have scored below their season average.

On the season, Milwaukee has been one of the most efficient offenses in the league, ranking 5th in field goal percentage and 5th in true shooting percentage. They are also 4th in pace, averaging 101.4 possessions per game.

When it comes to three-point shooting, the Bucks are 5th in the league in made threes per game, but they are just 8th in three-point shooting percentage. Overall, they are 5th in free throws made and 2nd in free throw attempts.

Timberwolves Offense Breakdown

Minnesota has recorded an average of 114 points per game (20th) throughout 55 games games.

At home, the Timberwolves are averaging 112.7 points per game, which is 24th in the NBA. Overall, they are 20th in scoring at 114 points per game. In terms of pace, Minnesota is 26th in the league at 97.3 possessions per game.

So far this season, the Timberwolves have outscored the NBA scoring average in 47.3% of their games. In terms of field goal percentage, they are 7th in the league at 49%. From beyond the arc, Minnesota is 3rd in three-point shooting at 39%.

When it comes to getting to the free-throw line, the Timberwolves are 8th in attempts at 23.8 per game. In terms of assists, they are 17th in the NBA with an average of 26.4 per contest.

Bucks Team Defense

Defensively, the Bucks come into today’s game ranked 23rd in the NBA at 118.8 points per game allowed. However, they have shown signs of improvements lately, ranking 4th in the league over their last three games. Milwaukee’s defense is currently forcing 12.5 turnovers per game, which is 11th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 15th in blocked shots, with an average of 5.2 rejections per game.

Timberwolves Team Defense

Not only do the Timberwolves’ overall defensive numbers look good, as they are 1st in the league in points allowed. Minnesota has also been playing well on defense of late, ranking 26th in the league over their last three games at 100 PPG allowed. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Timberwolves squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 50.3% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 35.4% from downtown.

Key Players For The Bucks And Timberwolves

In today’s game, we anticipate Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the scoring for the Bucks, contributing 29 points while shooting 11/18 from the field. For the season, he has been averaging 30.8 points per game, in addition to 11.2 rebounds.

On the opposing side, we anticipate Anthony Edwards to be the top scorer for the Timberwolves. Our projection has him finishing the game with 27, and he is expected to secure 6 rebounds. This season, he has put together a field goal percentage of 47.1%, and he is contributing 26.2 points per game on average.

Bucks vs Timberwolves Trends

• Across their three previous road games, Milwaukee has an ATS mark of 0-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-3 while averaging 108 points per game.
• When looking at their past three matchups at home, Minnesota has an ATS record of 3-0 while averaging 123 per game. The team went 3-0 overall in these games.
• As the betting underdog, the Bucks have an ATS mark of just 1-9 in their last ten games. Milwaukee posted a straight up mark of 0-10 in these matchups.
• In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Timberwolves have a strong straight up record of 4-1. In addition, their ATS record was 4-1 in these scenarios.

Bucks vs Timberwolves Prediction

Coming in as the underdogs at +4.5, we have the Bucks as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 225.5 and our model has the Bucks and Timberwolves finishing with a combined 283 points. Our pick is to take the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.