The Dallas Mavericks (18-13) travel to face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves (22-7) on Thursday, December 28th. This game will be played at Target Center. Both the Mavericks and Timberwolves will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip off is scheduled for 8:00 ET.

Mavericks vs Timberwolves

The Mavericks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In their most recent game, the Mavericks tell to the Cavaliers by a score of 113-110. In addition, to losing the game straight-up, the Mavericks lost vs. the spread as -6.5 point favorites. Considering the over/under, the total of 223 points fell short of the set over/under line of 232.

With an overall record of 18-13, the Mavericks will have to bring their A-game if they want to come away with a win as they are +10 point underdogs. The team is currently 6th in the Western Conference and leads the Southwest division.

Presently, Dallas boasts an ATS record of 16-15, which is above .500 against the spread. This season, Dallas has a 13-7 record against the spread when they are favored, and they are 3-8 when playing as underdogs.

The Timberwolves Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Timberwolves’ most recent matchup against the Thunder saw Anthony Edwards lead the Timberwolves with 25 points while shooting 7/16 from the field. While Mike Conley was 2nd on the team with 17 points, Minnesota fell short in the game with a final score of 129-106.

When you break down the Timberwolves’ last ten games, they have gone 7-3 and come into today’s game vs. the Mavericks with an overall record of 22-7. On the road, the Timberwolves are 10-6 this season while going 12-1 at home.

Minnesota arrives with an ATS record of 15-13 for the season up to this point. As the favorite this season, Minnesota is 11-9 vs. the spread while going 4-4 as the underdog.

Mavericks Offense Breakdown

The Dallas offense will take the floor in today’s game with the league’s 7th ranked offense at 119 points per game. When looking at the Mavericks pace of play, they tend to play an up-tempo style of basketball. So far, the team is in the upper half of the NBA in possessions per game, averaging 99.9. Dallas has been effective on offense due to the fact that they not only play an up-tempo style, but they have one of the best effective field goal percentages in the league at 55%.

Timberwolves Offense Breakdown

Minnesota has recorded an average of 113.3 points per game (20th) throughout 29 games games. Coming into today’s game, the Timberwolves will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 11.9 made 3’s per game. One area of the team’s offense that has been effective is their ability to get to the free-throw line. So far, they are ranked 10th, with an average of 18.9 made free-throws per game.

Mavericks Team Defense

Coming into today’s game, the Mavericks’ defense is giving up an average of 117.6 points per contest. Inside the arc, the Mavericks defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 55.7% and 36.5% from three-point territory.

Timberwolves Team Defense

Currently, the Timberwolves’ defense holds the 1st rank in the NBA, allowing 107.3 points per game. In the terms of takeaways, Timberwolves are causing 14.3 turnovers per game, ranking 25th in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 8th in rejections, averaging 6 blocked shots each game.

Key Players For The Mavericks And Timberwolves

For today’s matchup, we project Luka Doncic to lead the scoring for the Mavericks, putting up 22 points and shooting at a rate of 8/15. For the season, he has been averaging 33.7 points per game, in addition to 8.4 rebounds.

On the other side, Anthony Edwards is our projected leading scorer for the Timberwolves. We have him ending the game with a team-high 18 and grabbing 4 rebounds. Throughout the season, he has maintained a 45.3% field goal shooting rate and is averaging 25.2 points per game.

Mavericks vs Timberwolves Trends

• The Mavericks are 3-2 ATS in their last road games and 3-2 straight-up.
• When looking at their past five home matchups, Minnesota has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 112 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Mavericks have gone 2-8 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-8.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Timberwolves have gone 6-4 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 10-0.

 

Mavericks vs Timberwolves Prediction

 

As the underdogs with a spread of +10, we recommend going with the Mavericks on the point spread. We not only see them covering the spread but also have a strong likelihood of winning this one outright, especially if you’re seeking a higher payout on the moneyline.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 227.5, and our model projects the Mavericks and Timberwolves to reach a combined total of 230 points. Our bet is on taking 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.