Boston Celtics vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction
| Game Time | 7:30 pm EST |
| Boston Celtics Line | -3.5 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves Line | +3.5 |
| Total | 220 |
| TV: | NBA TV |
Below is a detailed analysis for Boston Celtics vs Minnesota Timberwolves game.
PREGAME WARM-UP:
Two teams coming off opposite outcomes in their New Year’s Eve games are clashing tonight, when the Minnesota Timberwolves are hosting the Boston Celtics. The Wolves are coming off a road defeat against the best team of the West that snapped their previous three-game winning streak, and are back home, where they are playing much better than on the road. On the other hand, the Celtics are coming off a huge blowout win over the Raptors, but are still struggling lately, having two wins in their last five games played.
Boston Celtics vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction
Minnesota Timberwolves Injury Report: Luka Garza, Rob Dillingham, Daishen Nix are out
Boston Celtics Injury Report: Anton Watson, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday are out.
Minnesota Timberwolves Form and Trends
The Timberwolves have a 17-15 record this season and are sitting on the 8th place of the West. The Wolves are 13-19 against the spread and 16-16 in over/under. Minnesota has a 9-6 home record, and are 4-11 against the spread, with a +3-point differential. The Wolves are 3-1 in their last 4 games, but 2-5 against the spread in their last 7. Over is 3-0 in their last 3 games.
The Timberwolves are coming off a 112-110 win over San Antonio, even though they shot worse than the Spurs both from the field and from beyond the arc. Donte DiVincenzo led Minnesota’s offense with 26 points with 5 triples, 7 rebounds and 4 assists off the bench.
Anthony Edwards leads the Timberwolves both in scoring with 24.8 points, adding 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists. Julius Randle adds 19.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
Boston Celtics Recent Form and Trends
The Celtics have a 24-9 record this season and are sitting on the second place of the East. Boston is 13-20 against the spread and 15-17-1 in over/under. The Celtics have a 11-3 road record but are just 6-8 against the spread, with a +11.5-point differential. Boston is 2-3 in their last 5 games, and just 4-8 against the spread in their last 12. Over is 3-1 in their last 4 games.
Boston is coming off a 125-71 win over Toronto, as they held the Raptors into just 31% from the field and 25% from downtown. Four of the five Boston starters score double figures, led by Jason Tatum with 23 points and 8 rebounds.
Tatum leads Boston in scoring this season, with an average of 28.3 points, adding 9.5 rebounds and a team-high 5.5 assists. Jaylen Brown adds 24.4 points, 6 rebounds and 4.6 assists.
Statistical Breakdown
Offensively, the Wolves average 109.3 points per game, which is 23rd in the league. They shoot 45.8% from the field (17th) and with 37.2% from beyond the arc (8th). Defensively, they allow 107.4 points per game, which is the fourth-best in the NBA.
Offensively, the Celtics are 4th-best in the NBA with 119.5 points per game. They shoot 45.8% from the field (19th) and 36.4% from beyond the arc (13th). Defensively, they allow 110.1 points per game, which is 6th in the league.
In their previous meeting earlier this season, the Celtics won 107-105 at home. The Celtics are 8-2 in their last 10 meetings against the Wolves, but the Wolves are 4-0 against the spread in their last 4 meetings.
Prediction
In this Boston Celtics vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction, the Celtics are coming as -3.5 road favorites. The Celtics are rightfully favored, as they have been the far better team throughout the season, but they have been on a bit of a slump lately. On the other hand, Minnesota is the worst covering home team in the NBA this season with 4-11 against the spread, so I find it hard to trust either side at this particular spot. Both teams are top-6 in the league defensively, allowing 217.5 points per game combined, and in their only previous meeting this season, they combined for just 212 total points, which went 10 points under the total. I don’t expect fireworks offensively in this game, so take the under the point total. Nick’s Free Pick: Under 220
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