The Minnesota Timberwolves (24-9) travel to face off against the Houston Rockets (17-15) on Friday, January 5th. This game will be played at Toyota Center. The Rockets are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Timberwolves are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Nets. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Timberwolves vs Rockets

The Timberwolves Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Minnesota’s most recently played the Pelicans and lost with a final score of 117-106. The Timberwolves picked up the win despite trailing going into halftime 59-46.

As we get started today, the Timberwolves are 1st in the Western Conference and 1st in the Northwest division. Looking back at their last three games, the Timberwolves have gone 1-2 and have an overall record of 24-9.

Minnesota’s ATS record is currently below .500 at 15-17 for the season. Minnesota has failed to cover the spread in four straight home games and are 8-8 ATS at home compared to 7-9 on the road.

The Rockets Are Coming Off A Win

The Rockets picked up a win over the Nets in their latest game, finishing with a score of 112-101. The Rockets picked up the win despite trailing going into halftime 50-49.

In their last five games, the Rockets have gone 2-3 and have an overall record of 17-15. This season, the Rockets are 3-10 on the road and 14-5 at home.

Against the spread, Houston have an above .500 record vs. the spread sitting at 20-11 ATS. When playing on the road, the Rockets hold an ATS record of 6-6 in contrast to a 14-5 record against the spread when playing at home.

Timberwolves Offense Breakdown

Through 33 games the Timberwolves are averaging 112.8 points per contest, placing them 24th in the NBA. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Timberwolves are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 97.9 per contest. Although the Timberwolves have a current effective field goal percentage of 55%, their below average pace of play is a key factor behind their mediocre scoring numbers.

Rockets Offense Breakdown

Through 32 games the Rockets are averaging 113 points per contest, placing them 22nd in the NBA. So far, the Rockets are averaging 98 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. This deliberate style of basketball has played a role in the unit ranking just 24th in made shots per game.

Timberwolves Team Defense

This season, the Timberwolves defense has been impressive, holding the 1st position in the league while permitting an average of 107.8 points per contest. On two point field goal attempts, the Timberwolves’ defensive unit is allowing a field goal percentage of 51.1% and allowing 34.6% from beyond the arc.

Rockets Team Defense

At this time, the Rockets’ defense is positioned 2nd in the NBA, permitting 109.6 points per game. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Rockets squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 53.3% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 32.4% from downtown.

Key Players For The Timberwolves And Rockets

In today’s game, our projections have Anthony Edwards leading the Timberwolves with 25 points on 9/19 shooting from the field. During this season, he is delivering an average of 26.6 points per game, along with 5.3 rebounds.

On the flip side, our predictions place Jalen Green as the leading scorer for the Rockets. We expect him to conclude the game with a team-high 19 while also collecting 4 rebounds. Throughout the season, he has maintained a 40.5% field goal shooting rate and is averaging 17.4 points per game.

Timberwolves vs Rockets Trends

• Through their last three road contests, the Timberwolves offense has averaged 107 points per game while allowing an average of 113. Minnesota posted an overall record of 1-2 while going 1-2 ATS.
• Through their last ten home contests, the Rockets offense has averaged 112 points per game while allowing an average of 115. Houston posted an overall record of 3-7 while going 5-4-1 ATS.
• In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Rockets have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 1-2.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Timberwolves have gone 4-6 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 8-2.

Timberwolves vs Rockets Prediction

Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +3.5, the Rockets is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 219 and given that our model is projecting 230 points between the teams, we like 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.