The Minnesota Timberwolves (24-7) travel to face off against the New York Knicks (17-15) on Monday, January 1st. This game will be played at Madison Square Garden. The Timberwolves are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Knicks are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Lakers. Tip-off is set for 3:00 ET.

Timberwolves vs Knicks

The Timberwolves Are Coming Off A Win

In their most recent game, the Timberwolves took down the Lakers by a score of 108-106. The Timberwolves entered the game as -4.5-point favorites, but their 2 point victory fell short of covering the spread. As for the over/under, the combined score of 214 points didn’t reach the over/under line of 226.

Coming into today’s game against the Knicks, the Timberwolves have an overall record of 24-7 and are 2-1 in their last three games. In the Western Conference, the Timberwolves are in 1st place and also hold the top spot in the Northwest division.

Minnesota possesses a .500 ATS record for the season, sitting at 15-15 ATS. Minnesota has failed to cover the spread in three straight home games and are 8-7 ATS at home compared to 7-8 on the road.

The Knicks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Knicks’ most recent game versus the Pacers saw Donte DiVincenzo lead the Knicks with 38 points while shooting 15/21 from the field. Julius Randle put up 28 points which was 2nd on the team, but it wasn’t enough as New York ended up losing the game with a final score of 140-126.

With a record above .500, the Knicks are looking to build on their success as they face the Timberwolves today. In the Eastern Conference, they are currently ranked 8th and are 3rd in the Atlantic division.

New York is currently performing above .500 against the spread with an ATS record of 17-15. During this season, New York has a 10-6 record against the spread as favorites and 7-9 as underdogs.

Timberwolves Offense Breakdown

This season, the Minnesota offense is ranked 21st in the NBA in scoring at 113.3 points per game. Coming into today’s game, the Timberwolves will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 12.1 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 9th, with an average of 19.2 made free-throws per game.

Knicks Offense Breakdown

The Knicks come into today’s game as the 15th ranked scoring offense at 115.3 points per game. So far, the Knicks are averaging 97.2 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. Even though the Knicks are one of the more efficient 3-point shooting teams in the NBA at 37%, their slower-style of play may be holding back the team’s offense from fully taking off.

Timberwolves Team Defense

So far, the Timberwolves’ defense is ranked 1st in the league at 107.4 points per contest. Inside the arc, the Timberwolves defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 50.9% and 34.2% from three-point territory.

Knicks Team Defense

Currently, the Knicks’ defense holds the 14th rank in the NBA, allowing 113.9 points per game. In the terms of takeaways, Knicks are causing 12.4 turnovers per game, ranking 8th in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 29th in rejections, averaging 3.3 blocked shots each game.

Key Players For The Timberwolves And Knicks

Our projections for today’s game indicate that Anthony Edwards will be the primary scorer for the Timberwolves, with 24 points and going 9/19 from the field. Throughout this season, his average stands at 26 points per game, along with 5.4 rebounds.

On the other side, Jalen Brunson is our projected leading scorer for the Knicks. We have him ending the game with a team-high 26 and grabbing 4 rebounds. This season, he is shooting at a field goal percentage of 47.2%, and his scoring average is 25.9 points per game.

Timberwolves vs Knicks Trends

• Across their last five road contests, Minnesota has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 3-2, while averaging 112 points per game.
• Across the Knicks last five home games, the team averaged 117 points per game while allowing 119. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 2-3, while going 2-3 straight-up.
• The last three games that New York was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.
• In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Timberwolves have a straight up record of 3-0, while going 0-3 against the spread.

Timberwolves vs Knicks Prediction

For a point-spread bet in this Timberwolves vs. Knicks matchup, we’re leaning towards the Knicks at +1.5. Although our projections show the Timberwolves winning 125-124, we suggest placing your bet on the Knicks for the point-spread.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 224.5, and our model projects the Timberwolves and Knicks to reach a combined total of 249 points. Our bet is on taking the over.

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

* 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.