The Minnesota Timberwolves (17-5) travel to face off against the Dallas Mavericks (15-8) on Thursday, December 14th. This game will be played at American Airlines Center. The Mavericks are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Timberwolves are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Lakers. Tip-off is set for 8:30 ET.

Timberwolves vs Mavericks

The Timberwolves Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In their most recent matchup, the Timberwolves conveyed a message to the Pelicans with a score of 121-107. Turning the tide, the Timberwolves picked up the win, overcoming a halftime deficit of 59-52.

Coming into today, the Timberwolves are 17-5 overall and have gone 2-1 in their last three games. In away games, the Timberwolves are 7-4 this season, compared to a 10-1 record in home games.

Against the spread, Minnesota have an above .500 record vs. the spread sitting at 11-10 ATS. The Timberwolves have two straight ATS losses as the underdog and are 8-8 vs. the spread as the favorite.

The Mavericks Are Coming Off A Win

The Mavericks clinched a 127-125 win over the Lakers in their previous game. Going into the second half the Mavericks held the lead at 71-61.

Coming into today’s matchup against the Timberwolves, the Mavericks are looking to stay above .500. So far, they are 15-8 and are currently 3rd in the Western Conference. In the Southwest division, they are in 1st place.

Dallas is currently performing above .500 against the spread with an ATS record of 13-10. Dallas has covered the spread in two consecutive road games, while maintaining an ATS record of 8-4 on the road as opposed to 5-6 at home.

Timberwolves Offense Breakdown

In 22 games games, Minnesota has an average of 112.7 points per game (21st). So far, the Timberwolves are averaging 98.2 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. Their slower style of play has created fewer offensive opportunities, leading to them being ranked 22nd in fields goals made per contest.

Mavericks Offense Breakdown

Coming into today’s action, Dallas is averaging 120.2 points per contest. This figure places them 6th in the league. The Mavericks come into the game as one of the league’s better 3-point shooting teams, connecting at a rate of 16.3 made 3’s per game. One thing that could take the team’s offense to the next level is if they can begin to generate more opportunites at the free-throw line. So far, they are averaging just 17.8 made free-throws per game.

Timberwolves Team Defense

So far this season, the Timberwolves defense has been performing well, ranking 2nd in the NBA at 105.9 points allowed per contest.

The Minnesota defense has allowed opponents to shoot 34.3% from beyond the arc this season. Opposing teams are also hitting 43.1% of their field goal attempts vs. Minnesota.

Mavericks Team Defense

Facing Minnesota, the Mavericks aims for a better defensive performance, given their current average of 116.9 points allowed per game (22nd).

When it comes to forced turnovers, the Mavericks are forcing 11.5 per game, which is 1st in the league. They also come into the game sitting 20th in blocked shots at 4.8 per game.

Key Players For The Timberwolves And Mavericks

The outlook for today’s matchup points to Anthony Edwards as the primary point contributor for the Timberwolves, finishing with 15 points while maintaining a 5/11 shooting accuracy. This season, he is averaging 24.4 points per game along with 5.6 boards.

On the other side, Luka Doncic is our projected leading scorer for the Mavericks. We have him ending the game with a team-high 24 and grabbing 6 rebounds. This season, he is shooting at a field goal percentage of 48.2%, and his scoring average is 32 points per game.

Timberwolves vs Mavericks Trends

• Through their last ten road contests, the Timberwolves offense has averaged 116 points per game while allowing an average of 113. Minnesota posted an overall record of 7-3 while going 4-5-1 ATS.
• The Mavericks are 3-2 ATS in their last home games and 3-2 straight-up.
• As the betting underdog, the Timberwolves have an ATS record of 3-2 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 3-2.
• As the betting favorite, the Mavericks have an ATS record of 4-1 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 4-1.

Timberwolves vs Mavericks Prediction

We’re putting our money on the Mavericks to win, and have the projected score sitting at 116-108. We also like them to cover the spread, so our recommendation is to bet on the Mavericks at -2.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 229.5, and our model predicts the Timberwolves and Mavericks to score a combined 224 points. We recommend betting on the under.

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.