| Game Time | 3:30 pm EST |
| Minnesota Timberwolves Line | +8 |
| Boston Celtics Line | -8 |
| Total | 222 |
| TV: | NBA TV |
After a surprising loss in Toronto, the Minnesota Timberwolves are travelling to Boston to face the defending champions with hopes of bouncing back. The Celtics are looking sharp this season and are currently on a four-game winning streak. They are second in the Eastern Conference only to the almost perfect Cleveland Cavaliers, and just came home after a short trip and a win in Washington.
Below is a detailed analysis for Minnesota Timberwolves vs Boston Celtics game.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Boston Celtics Prediction
Boston Celtics Injury Report: Al Horford is day-to-day, Kristaps Porzingis is out
Minnesota Timberwolves Injury Report: Mike Conley and Rob Dillingham are day-to-day.
Boston Celtics Recent Form and Trends
The Celtics have a 13-3 record this season and are sitting on the second place of the East. Boston is 7-9 against the spread and 8-7-1 in over/under. The Celtics have a 5-2 home record but 2-5 against the spread, with a +5.3-point differential. Boston is 9-2 in their last 11 games, but 1-4 against the spread in their last 5. Over is 4-1 in their last 5 games.
Boston is coming off a 108-96 win in Washington, but they did not shoot the ball very well, with just 42.4% from the field and 23.9% from beyond the arc. Jaylen Brown led Boston’s offense with a game-high 31 points, 5 assists and a team-high 11 rebounds.
Jason Tatum leads Boston in scoring this season, with an average of 29.1 points, adding 8.2 rebounds and a team-high 6.1 assists. Jaylen Brown adds 25.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
Minnesota Timberwolves Recent Form and Trends
The Timberwolves have an 8-7 record this season and are sitting on the 10th place of the West. The Wolves are 5-10 against the spread and 9-6 in over/under. Minnesota has a 3-5 road record, and 3-5 against the spread, with a -2.8-point differential. The Wolves are 5-4 in their last 9 games and over is 7-4 in their last 11.
The Timberwolves are coming off a 110-105 loss against the Toronto Raptors on the road, as they shot with just 41.3% from the field and allowed the Raptors to shoot with 51.4%. They had three players with 22+ points, led by Anthony Edwards with 26 with 5 triples.
Edwards leads the Timberwolves both in scoring with 27.9 points, adding 4.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Julius Randle adds 21.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game with his new team.
Statistical Breakdown
Offensively, the Celtics are second-best in the NBA with 120.7 points per game. They shoot 46% from the field (16th) and 37.1% from beyond the arc (11th). Defensively, they rank 13th in the NBA, allowing 111.8 points per game.
Offensively, the Wolves average 113.3 points per game, which is 15th in the league. They shoot 47.2% from the field (8th) and with 37.9% from beyond the arc (6th). Defensively, they allow 111.1 points per game, which ranks 10th in the NBA.
The Celtics are 8-2 in their last 10 meetings against the Wolves, and are a perfect 5-0 in their last 5 meetings in Boston. Over is 4-1 in their last 5 meetings.
Prediction
In this Minnesota Timberwolves vs Boston Celtics Prediction, the Celtics are coming as -8 home favorites, and rightfully so. Even though they are 2-5 against the spread at home, this Minnesota team has not been looking good on the road so far, especially on the road, where they have a negative point differential. Having to travel from Canada to Boston doesn’t make things any better, and the defending champions are looking as good as even, having ended the Cavaliers’ perfect streak four days ago. The value here lies with the home favorite, so pick the Boston Celtics and lay the points at home.
Nick’s Pick: Boston Celtics -8