The Minnesota Timberwolves (17-4) travel to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans (12-11) on Monday, December 11th. This game will be played at Smoothie King Center in Smoothie King Center and televised on BSNO. The Timberwolves are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pelicans are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Grizzlies. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Timberwolves vs Pelicans

The Timberwolves Are Coming Off A Win

The Timberwolves notched a win against the Grizzlies in their most recent game, concluding with a score of 127-103. The Timberwolves not only secured a straight-up victory in this game but also covered the spread as -5-point favorites. Before the game, the over/under line was 213.5 points, and both teams ended up surpassing that mark.

Coming into today’s matchup against the Pelicans, the Timberwolves have a record of 17-4 and are looking to stay above .500. In Western Conference play, the Timberwolves are 12-2 compared to 5-2 in non-conference games.

In terms of the spread, Minnesota currently holds an ATS record of 11-9, which is above .500. Minnesota has covered the spread in three consecutive road games, while maintaining an ATS record of 4-5 on the road as opposed to 7-4 at home.

The Pelicans Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Pelicans’ most recent matchup against the Lakers saw Trey Murphy III lead the Pelicans with 14 points while shooting 5/13 from the field. Zion Williamson added 13 points, but unfortunately, New Orleans was defeated in the game with a score of 133-89.

In their last ten games, the Pelicans are 6-4 and come into today’s game vs. the Timberwolves with an overall record of 12-11. At home, the Pelicans are 8-4 while going 4-7 on the road this season.

Against the spread, New Orleans are currently above .500, at 13-10 ATS. New Orleans has covered the spread in seven straight home games and are 9-3 ATS at home compared to 4-7 on the road.

Timberwolves Offense Breakdown

In 21 games games, Minnesota has an average of 113 points per game (19th). When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Timberwolves are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 98.1 per contest. If the Timberwolves offense is going to turn things around, they will need to either generate more possessions or improve their overall efficiency. Currently, they are just 14th ranked team in 3-point shooting percentage.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

The Pelicans come into today’s game as the 15th ranked scoring offense at 113.5 points per game. Coming into today’s game, the Pelicans will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 10.8 made 3’s per game. If the New Orleans offense is going to turn things around, not only do they need to improve their outside shooting but they must do a better job protecting the ball. Currently, they are averaging 13.2 turnovers per game.

Timberwolves Team Defense

At present, the Timberwolves’ defense is ranked 1st, allowing 105.2 points per game.

The Minnesota defense has allowed opponents to shoot 34.2% from beyond the arc this season. Opposing teams are also hitting 42.8% of their field goal attempts vs. Minnesota.

Pelicans Team Defense

New Orleans’ defense is currently in line with the NBA average for points allowed, allowing an average of 114.2 points per game.

In the terms of takeaways, Pelicans are causing 13.2 turnovers per game, ranking 14th in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 25th in rejections, averaging 4.4 blocked shots each game.

Key Players For The Timberwolves And Pelicans

In today’s game, we anticipate Anthony Edwards leading the scoring for the Timberwolves, contributing 16 points while shooting 6/12 from the field. For the season, he has been averaging 24.4 points per game, in addition to 5.6 rebounds.

On the other side, Brandon Ingram is our projected leading scorer for the Pelicans. We have him ending the game with a team-high 16 and grabbing 4 rebounds. This season, he is shooting at a field goal percentage of 49.2%, and his scoring average is 23 points per game.

Timberwolves vs Pelicans Trends

• In their last ten games away from home, the Timberwolves have a straight up record of 7-3 while going 4-5-1 vs. the spread. The team averaged 114 points per game in this stretch.
• When looking at their past three home matchups, New Orleans has an ATS record of 1-2 while averaging 111 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
• The last ten games that Minnesota was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 6-4 while going 4-6 straight up.
• As the betting favorite, the Pelicans have an ATS record of 2-1 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight up record was 2-1.

Timberwolves vs Pelicans Prediction

We’re calling a win for the Pelicans, with a final score of 117-109, and we’re taking them to cover the spread. Our recommendation is to bet on the Pelicans at -3.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 222.5, and our model predicts the Timberwolves and Pelicans to score a combined 226 points. We recommend betting on 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.