Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves Preview
The Timberwolves and Rockets are set to face off at 8:00 ET on Spac. The Rockets will host the game at Toyota Center in Houston, TX.
The Timberwolves are the favored team in this Western conference contest against the Rockets. The game’s over/under currently sits at 219 points. Check out BetCoco for Houston Rockets – Minnesota Timberwolves odds
Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves Head-to-Head and Key Stats
In the last three head-to-head matchups, the Timberwolves are averaging 110 points per game, compared to the Rockets at 106. These figures have led to Minnesota posting a record of 2-1.
- Across their three previous road games, Minnesota has an ATS mark of 1-2. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-2 while averaging 107 points per game.
- In their last ten games at home, the Rockets have a straight up record of 3-7 while going 5-4-1 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 112 points per game in these contests.
- Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Rockets have gone 1-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.
- Although the Timberwolves have a strong straight up record in their last five games as the betting favorite, they have not done as well vs the spread going 0-5.
Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction
As the Timberwolves get ready to take on the Rockets, they are on a bit of a slide, losing two straight games. Despite this, they are still in 1st place in the Western Conference at 24-9. When playing on the road, Minnesota has gone 10-7 this season.
If they are able to pull out a win today, the Timberwolves will also need to cover the spread as 3.5-point favorites. For the season, they have an average scoring margin of +.6 points per game on the road.
Against the spread, Minnesota is 15-17 this season. This is due in large part to their current ATS losing streaks. Overall, they have failed to cover the spread in five straight games on the road and have an average road ATS record of 7-9.
So far, the Timberwolves have been the favorite in 25 of their 33 games and have a record of 20-5 in those games. Their average scoring margin as the favorite is 7.6 points per game.
In their last game, the Timberwolves’ offense finished with just 106 points vs. the Pelicans. They went 10/31 from three-point range and had a 45.1% field goal percentage. Overall, the Timberwolves are shooting 48% from the field this season, which ranks 7th in the nation. In terms of three-pointers, they are 4th in percentage and 21st in made.
Coming into the game, the Timberwolves defense has held opposing team’s to fewer points than the league average in 27.3% of their games. Currently, they are 1st in the NBA at 107.8 points per game allowed. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Timberwolves squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 51.1% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 34.6% from downtown.
The Rockets will host the Timberwolves as 3.5-point underdogs. If they are able to cover, they will improve their overall record to 21-11 against the spread. Houston’s straight-up record is currently 17-15, which has them 8th in the Western Conference.
So far, the Rockets have been slightly better at home compared to on the road. Houston’s average scoring margin at home this season is +9.5, and they have an average scoring margin of -5.3 on the road. For the season, they have just three wins on the road.
Against other teams in the West, the Rockets have gone 14-9 compared to just 3-6 in non-conference games. Houston has also gone 7-2 against other teams in the Southwest Division.
When playing at home, Houston’s over/under record for the season is 14-5, and the under has come through in their previous two games. Out of their 32 games, 23 have had lower over/under lines than today’s line of 219. The Rockets’ average over/under line for the season has been 222.1 points.
As the underdog, Houston’s record vs. the spread for the season is 11-9, and they have failed to cover in two straight as the underdog. The Rockets have picked up straight-up wins in each of their last two games (vs. BKN).
In 65.6% of their games, the Rockets offense has scored below their opponent’s defensive average for the season. As a whole, Houston is 22nd in the league in scoring, averaging 113 points per game. Alperen Sengün is the team’s leading scorer with 21.5 PPG, while Jalen Green is second with an average of 17.4 PPG.
The Rockets’ defense is presently ranked 2nd in the league, allowing an average of 109.6 points per contest. In the terms of takeaways, Rockets are causing 12.5 turnovers per game, ranking 9th in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 26th in rejections, averaging 4.2 blocked shots each game.
Despite being 3.5 point underdogs, we predict the Rockets to come out on top with a final score of 116-114.
Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Tips
- We like the Rockets on the moneyline (+136)
- The Rockets are also our pick on the spread at +3.5
- Projecting a combined 230 points, we like the over
Houston Rockets Injury Report
- Victor Oladipo – Knee – Out
- Dillon Brooks – Abdomen – Out
- Tari Eason – Leg – Questionable
Minnesota Timberwolves Injury Report
- Luka Garza – Low Back – Questionable
- Jaylen Clark – Achilles – Out
