The 2020-21 NBA season continues Thursday night with five games on the schedule, so here’s the best betting pick for the Northwest Division showdown between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers along with the latest odds update on Sugarhouse Sportsbook.
The Timberwolves are without their best player, and Karl-Anthony Towns (wrist) won’t return until the end of the week. On the other side, the Trail Blazers miss Zach Collins (ankle), while Rodney Hood (quad) is questionable to play.
Minnesota lost five straight games without KAT
Since Karl-Anthony Towns hit the sidelines, the Minnesota Timberwolves (2-5; 3-4 ATS) have been riding a five-game losing streak while covering just once in the process. They lost at Denver 123-116 as 9.5-point road dogs this past Tuesday, tallying their third consecutive defeat away from home.
D’Angelo Russell leads the way for Minnesota in KAT’s absence, averaging 19.1 points and 5.4 assists per game while making 40.4% of his 3-pointers. However, the T-Wolves score just 105.2 points per 100 possessions (23rd in the NBA) while shooting a terrible 31.6% from beyond the arc (29th).
Minnesota lacks talent everywhere. The Timberwolves have the worst defensive rating in the league, yielding 117.3 points per 100 possessions. Also, they rank 26th in total rebounds (41.3) and 23rd in turnovers per 100 possessions (15.8).
The Trail Blazers play like a bad team
The Portland Trail Blazers (3-4; 2-5 ATS) have dropped two straight games are only 1-3 straight up and ATS in their last four outings. After a heavy 137-122 defeat at Golden State, the Trail Blazers suffered a disappointing 111-108 loss to Chicago as 9.5-point home favorites.
Portland blew a 20-point lead against the shorthanded Bulls, allowing a whopping 66 second-half points. The Trail Blazers made 19 triples out of 51 attempts but shot just 41.5% from the field on the night.
Although they have the 11th-best offensive rating of 110.9 points per 100 possessions, the Trail Blazers have played poor offense in general thus far. They are dead last in the league in assists per 100 possessions (21.2), while the Trail Blazers make only 43.2% of their field goals (29th).
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”nba/timberwolves” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]Trends:
Minnesota:
- 3-10-1 ATS in the last 14 games against Portland
- 1-4 ATS in the last five games overall
Portland:
- 6-0-1 ATS in the last seven home games against Minnesota
- 4-2 ATS in the last six home games as favorites of nine or more points
The Winner Prediction
The Trail Blazers have to regroup and bounce back in this matchup. They are 1-4 SU and 0-5 ATS in the last five outings at home, and the Trail Blazers shouldn’t consider themselves as legitimate playoff contenders if they fail to beat this Minnesota team by ten or more points.
I’m not saying it should be an easy task, but after surrendering 66 second-half points last time out, the Trail Blazers should be fired up to beat their divisional foes who miss their best player. Portland has won seven straight home games against the T-Wolves, covering six times in the process along with a push.
Pick: Take Portland -9.0 at -110
The Total:
While Minnesota’s defensive rating is the worst in the NBA, the Trail Blazers allow the third-most points per 100 possessions (114.5). Both teams have some serious problems to defend anything, so I have to bet on the over.
Although the under has hit in six of the last seven matchups between Portland and Minnesota, the total has gone over in Minnesota’s last three games and five of Portland’s last eight games on the home court.
Pick: Go over 232.5 points at -110