Offense meets defense when the Minnesota Timberwolves (38-28) welcome the Boston Celtics (45-20) to Target Center. The game gets underway at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 8, 2018.
Boston Celtics at Minnesota Timberwolves Free Prediction
In the Celtics’ last outing, they defeated the Chicago Bulls, 105-89. Boston out-rebounded Chicago. The Celtics had 12 offensive rebounds and 53 total rebounds, while the Bulls had seven and 36, respectively. With 21 points on 9-for-13 shooting, Jaylen Brown was the game’s high scorer.
The Timberwolves fell to the Utah Jazz in their last game, 116-108. Utah won the rebounding battle. The Jazz had 11 offensive rebounds and 45 total rebounds, while the Timberwolves had two and 27, respectively. Minnesota’s Jeff Teague finished with 25 points in the contest.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength as the high-powered offense of Minnesota takes on the top-notch defense of Boston. The Timberwolves rank third in offensive efficiency, while the Celtics are first in defensive efficiency.
Boston comes into the game with records of 45-20 straight up (SU) and 38-24-3 against the spread (ATS). A little over half of the Celtics’ games have finished over the projected point total.
Meanwhile, Minnesota is 38-28 SU and 30-33-3 ATS. Of the Timberwolves’ 66 games, 36 have finished over the total.
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Terry Rozier (14.2 points) has been stellar for the Celtics while Teague (19.2 points, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals) has made solid contributions to the Timberwolves.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, the Timberwolves lost 91-84, unable to cover as 3-point underdogs. Karl-Anthony Towns scored a game-high 25 points and also recorded 23 rebounds. The game finished with a total of 175 points, which was 34.5 points below the projected point total of 209.5 points. The Celtics had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (33.3 vs. 18.8) and had a better turnover percentage (9.1 vs. 12.0).
Boston Celtics at Minnesota Timberwolves Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Timberwolves, ATS Winner – Timberwolves, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Boston is 22-9 ATS with 15 overs, 15 unders and 1 push.
Minnesota is 16-15-1 ATS at home with 18 overs, 13 unders and 1 push.
In games where they hold opponents under 100 points, Boston is 29-3 and Minnesota is 16-4.
The Celtics are 34-9 when they reach the century mark, while the Timberwolves are 36-18.
Boston ranks sixth in three pointers attempted per game (31.4) while Minnesota ranks 29th (22.3).
The Timberwolves rank fifth in points in the paint per game (48.5) while the Celtics rank 28th (39.4).
Minnesota ranks fifth in points off turnovers per game (18.1) while Boston ranks 26th (14.7).
The Timberwolves rank fifth in steals per game (8.6) while the Celtics rank 25th (7.1).
Boston ranks fifth in fast break points allowed per game (10.2) while Minnesota ranks 24th (13.0).
The Timberwolves rank fourth in rebounds allowed per game (41.5) while the Celtics rank 20th (43.8).
Boston ranks fourth in assists allowed per game (20.6) while Minnesota ranks 20th (23.8).
The Timberwolves rank third in second chance points per game (13.9) while the Celtics rank 17th (12.0).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Boston is 4-1 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
Minnesota is 2-3 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Celtics’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 12.2, up from 4.3 for the season.
During their last five games, the Timberwolves have scored an average of 109.8 points per game (0.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 109.6 points per game (2.6 above their season average).
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