The Minnesota Timberwolves (14-14) travel to face off against the Dallas Mavericks (19-10) on Wednesday, December 25th. This game will be played at American Airlines Center in Dallas and televised on ABC. 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 Timberwolves. Tip-off is set for 2:30 ET.

Timberwolves vs Mavericks

The Timberwolves Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Timberwolves fell to 14-14 on the season after a 117-104 road loss to the Hawks on Monday. Minnesota, favored by three points, failed to cover the spread, and the game’s total of 221 points came in just under the 223.5-point line.

After a rough start, with Atlanta going on a 12-0 run early, the Timberwolves responded by dominating the 2nd quarter, outscoring the Hawks 36-17. However, after an even 3rd quarter, Minnesota couldn’t keep up in the 4th, as Atlanta pulled away with a 35-19 advantage.

The Mavericks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Mavericks improved to 19-10 on the season with a 132-108 win over the Trail Blazers on Monday. Dallas, playing at home, entered the game as 13-point favorites and covered the spread. The total score of 240 points exceeded the over/under line of 230.5 by 9.5 points.

After trailing 31-28 at the end of the 1st quarter, Dallas took control by outscoring Portland 34-22 in the 2nd quarter and 40-23 in the 3rd. They went into the 4th quarter with a 102-76 lead, allowing them to cruise to victory despite being outscored 32-30 in the final period.

Timberwolves Offense Breakdown

The Timberwolves struggled offensively in their loss to the Hawks, shooting just 42.9% from the field and 32.6% from beyond the arc. Despite their shooting woes, they managed to hit 14 threes in the game.

Naz Reid led the way with 23 points, including 10 in the 3rd quarter. Julius Randle added 19 points, 9 of which came in the 3rd, and Anthony Edwards contributed 16 points, scoring 7 in both the 1st and 3rd quarters.

Mavericks Offense Breakdown

The Mavericks shot 53.3% from the field in their win over the Trail Blazers, despite hitting just 12 threes at a 33.3% clip. Luka Doncic led the way with 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Daniel Gafford was perfect from the field, scoring 23 points.

Kyrie Irving added 20 points, with 9 coming in the 3rd quarter. Gafford also had a big 3rd quarter, scoring 12 points, while Doncic added 10 in both the 2nd and 3rd periods.

Timberwolves Team Defense

Defensively, the Timberwolves had a strong 2nd quarter, holding the Hawks to just 17 points, but they struggled in the 1st and 4th quarters, giving up 35 points in each. Overall, they allowed 117 points on 53% shooting from the field.

Minnesota also had trouble defending the three, as Atlanta hit 18 threes at a 50% clip. The Timberwolves sent the Hawks to the line 26 times, where they made 21 free throws. On the boards, Minnesota gave up 6 offensive rebounds while recording 12 steals and 3 blocks.

Mavericks Team Defense

Defensively, the Timberwolves had a strong 2nd quarter, holding the Hawks to just 17 points, but they struggled in the 1st and 4th quarters, giving up 35 points in each. Overall, Minnesota allowed 117 points on 53% shooting from the field.

The Timberwolves also had trouble defending the three-point line, where the Hawks hit 18 threes at a 50% clip. Minnesota sent Atlanta to the free-throw line 26 times, where they made 21. The Timberwolves finished with 12 steals and 3 blocks.

Timberwolves vs Mavericks Trends

• Through their last ten road games, Minnesota has an ATS record of just 5-5. However, their overall record was 4-6 while averaging 107 points per game.
• In their last five home games, Dallas has averaged 129 points per game while allowing 120. The team’s record in this stretch was 4-1 while going 3-2 vs. the spread.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the underdog, the Timberwolves have a straight up record of 6-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 7-3.
• As the betting favorite, the Mavericks have an ATS record of 2-1 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight up record was 2-1.

Timberwolves vs Mavericks Prediction

The Mavericks is our pick to not only win with a projected score of 135-123. But we also favor them to cover the spread. Our bet is on the Mavericks at -5.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 222, and our model projects the Timberwolves and Mavericks to reach a combined total of 258 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.