The New Orleans Pelicans (19-51) travel to face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves (40-31) on Friday, March 21st. This game will be played at Target Center in Minneapolis and televised on FDSN. The Pelicans 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 8:00 ET.

Pelicans vs Timberwolves

The Pelicans Are Coming Off A Win

The Pelicans improved to 19-51 on the season with a 119-115 road win over the Timberwolves on Wednesday. New Orleans, who entered the game as +13.5 point underdogs, not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread. The total score of 234 points went over the pre-game line of 227.

A key moment for the Pelicans was a 14-0 run, which extended their lead from 43-35 to 57-35. They then outscored Minnesota 34-30 in the 3rd quarter and entered the 4th with a 96-91 lead, holding off the Timberwolves, who edged them 24-23 in the final period.

The Timberwolves Are Coming Off A Win

The Timberwolves fell to 40-31 on the season after a 119-115 loss to the Pelicans on Wednesday. Minnesota was heavily favored at -13.5 but failed to cover the spread. The total score of 234 points exceeded the over/under line of 227.

New Orleans went on a 14-0 run, stretching the score from 43-35 to 57-35. Minnesota tried to rally, outscoring the Pelicans 24-23 in the 4th quarter, but couldn’t overcome the deficit.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

Zion Williamson’s 29 points on 75% shooting led the Pelicans to a win over the Timberwolves, with 11 of his points coming in the 3rd quarter. New Orleans shot 52.8% from the field and hit 44.8% of their threes, making 13 from beyond the arc.

Bruce Brown added 15 points, hitting 4 threes at 57.1%, and scored 8 points in the 4th quarter. Kelly Olynyk and Bruce Brown both contributed 8 points in the final period, while Jordan Hawkins and Yves Missi each finished with 13 points.

Timberwolves Offense Breakdown

Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 29 points, despite shooting just 26.3% from the field in their 119-115 loss to the Pelicans. He connected on 4 threes at a 40% rate, while Minnesota hit 16 threes as a team, shooting 41% from deep.

Julius Randle added 17 points, shooting 70% from the field, and Mike Conley contributed 16 points, hitting 4 threes at 66.7%. Conley scored 8 points in the 1st quarter, while Edwards added 9, and 11 more in the 3rd.

Pelicans Team Defense

Even though the Pelicans gave up 115 points, their defense tightened up in the 4th quarter, allowing just 24 points to help secure the win. Overall, they allowed the Timberwolves to shoot 45% from the field.

New Orleans struggled to contain Minnesota from beyond the arc, giving up 16 threes on 41% shooting. They also sent the Timberwolves to the line 36 times, where they hit 29 free throws. The Pelicans finished with 5 steals and 6 blocks.

Timberwolves Team Defense

Defensively, the Pelicans gave up 115 points to the Timberwolves but tightened up in the 4th quarter, allowing just 24 points to help secure the win. Overall, they allowed Minnesota to shoot 45% from the field.

The Pelicans struggled to defend the three-point line, where the Timberwolves hit 16 threes at a 41% clip. They also sent Minnesota to the free-throw line 36 times, where they made 29. New Orleans finished with 5 steals and 6 blocks.

Pelicans vs Timberwolves Trends

• Across the Pelicans last five road games, the team averaged 118 points per game while allowing 127. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-4, while going 2-3 straight-up.
• Across the Timberwolves last ten home games, the team averaged 117 points per game while allowing 112. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 5-5, while going 6-4 straight-up.
• Through their last five games as the betting underdog, the Pelicans have a strong record vs the spread going 3-2. Their straight up mark in these contests is 2-3.
• As the betting favorite, the Timberwolves have an ATS mark of just 5-5 in their last ten games. Minnesota posted a straight up mark of 7-3 in these matchups.

Pelicans vs Timberwolves Prediction

For today’s matchup we are recommending to take the Timberwolves to secure the win, with an expected final score of 131-112. When it comes to the spread, we believe they’ll cover at -13.5.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 228.5, and our model predicts the Pelicans and Timberwolves to score a combined 243 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.