Pelicans vs. Timberwolves Prediction
Will Saturday night’s matchup in Minnesota between the Pelicans and Timberwolves cover the betting total? Tip-off is set for 9:00 p.m. ET.
Who Oddsmakers Like: Minnesota. According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Timberwolves are 2-point home favorites to beat the Pelicans, who opened as 1.5-point underdogs. The total, meanwhile, sits at 218.5 points, up from the original number of 216.
Who Public Bettors Like: Minnesota. As of Saturday morning, 68% of betting tickets are on the Timberwolves to cover the spread but 60% of the money is on the Pelicans.
Injury Report: For the Pelicans, Tony Allen is out with a knee injury but E’Twaun Moore (neck is probable). Alexis Ajinca (knee), Frank Jackson (foot) and Solomon Hill (hamstring) are all out. On the other side, Jeff Teague will miss another game for the Timberwolves because of a knee injury.
Who We Like: The over. In the last nine meetings between these two teams the combined score has gone over the total eight times. The over is also 9-1 in the Pelicans’ last 10 games versus Western Conference foes, is 6-1 in their last seven games coming off a win, and is 8-2-1 in their last 11 road games versus a team with a home winning percentage of greater than .600.
The over is also 13-4 in New Orleans’ last 17 games overall, is 12-4 in its last 16 games after scoring 100 points or more in its previous contest, and is 28-11-1 in the team’s last 40 games when playing Northwest opponents. On the other side, the over is 5-1 in the Timberwolves’ last six games versus Western Conference foes and has cashed in eight of their last 10 games coming off a loss.
SATURDAY NBA PREDICTION: PELICANS/TIMBERWOLVES OVER 218.5