The Spurs are playing the second of back-to-back games, while the Wolves are looking for the fourth consecutive win at home. With plenty of picks and markets to choose from, don’t waste your time and join the action at Get More Sports.
San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves
Spread: Minnesota Timberwolves -5 (-110) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: Over/Under 209.5 points (-110)
The Spurs are hoping to extend the winning run against Minnesota to 13 games
The San Antonio Spurs are on a mini road trip and are visiting Minneapolis after Tuesday’s victory over the Dallas Mavericks, 97:91. San Antonio is currently in the third position in the Western Conference with the 9-5 record, and they won five out of the last six matches, so even though the Wolves are slight favorites here, I wouldn’t bet on them. The Spurs are in a 13-0 run against Minnesota and despite playing well at home lately, and the runs have to be snapped eventually, I am not sure the host will win on this one. The fact that can help the Wolves is that the Spurs played on Tuesday and could be a bit tired, so that is their opportunity to end the negative streak finally.
LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs in Dallas with season-high 32 points (12-21 FG, 0-2 3PT, 8-10 FT), four rebounds, four assists, and game-high a pair of steals, while Patty Mills also scored a season-high 19 points, along with game-high four thefts. Manu Ginobili chipped in with 13 points off the bench, Dejounte Murray had ten points and seven boards, but the veterans Pau Gasol and Rudy Gay failed to contribute to the offense, combining for just six points. Gasol did record game-high ten rebounds, but I expect both of them to bounce back on this one, even though the Spaniard will not have an easy matchup with Karl-Anthony Towns. Gay, on the other hand, could be the spark off the bench as he faces Minnesota’s second unit that is not particularly well, so he should return to his usual double digits on Wednesday. Aldridge is the player to watch for the visitors as he already posted a double-double of 25 points and ten boards when these teams met at the very start of the season, when San Antonio won, 107:99. Danny Green, Murray, Gay, and Kyle Anderson were all in double figures, which clearly shows how many players Gregg Popovich has in his rotation and that everyone could play a significant role in this tilt. The two point guards, Mills and Murray, are splitting time on the floor, and unlike Minnesota, the Spurs have multiple options in the backcourt, even with Tony Parker’s sidelined.
Gregg Popovich is still without the French veteran who is out with a quad injury and will be absent until the end of November. In the meantime, Mills and Murray will continue to play an important part, but the more significant problem for Pop is Kawhi Leonard’s absence as he is suffering from the same problem like Parker, but will probably be out for another month. The Spurs are scoring 102.57 points per contest on average (24th in the NBA), while they are allowing 99.00 points in return (3rd in the NBA). San Antonio is living proof that defense can win games and thanks to sturdy D they won the last few matches, but they are among the top ten teams in the league when it comes to shooting from beyond the arc, and rebounding.
Place: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Date/Time: Wednesday, November 15th, 2017, 8 PM ET
TV Coverage: FOX SPORTS NET NORTH, FSSW
The Timberwolves are searching for the fourth win in a row at Target Center
The Minnesota Timberwolves snapped a two-game losing streak with a victory over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, and are now eager to end the negative run against San Antonio as they are without a win in the previous six H2H games at home. The Wolves are in the fourth position in the Western Conference and are at the top of the Northwest Division with the 8-5 record, one win ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers and one loss fewer than the Denver Nuggets.
Minnesota destroyed the Jazz in the opening quarter, which they won by 19 points, and the hosts were unable to return into the game, so the Wolves celebrated a 109:98 victory. The Wolves had an excellent 52.1% from the field, and 50% from the perimeter (10-20), while they dominated the boards, recording nine more than the Jazz (40-31), thanks to Rudy Gobert’s absence. Three players scored 20+ points, and Karl-Anthony Towns led them with a double-double of 24 points and 13 rebounds, while Jeff Teague added 22 points in season-high 38 minutes on the floor. Jimmy Butler posted a double-double of 21 points and season-high ten assists, Taj Gibson also recorded a double-double of 15 points and ten rebounds, while Andrew Wiggins had 11 points, four dimes, four boards, and two steals. Wiggins should return to his usual against the Spurs as he scored 26 when they met earlier in the season, and he is facing Kyle Andeson. The matchup between Towns and Gasol should be intriguing, while Butler could continue with his 20+ point performances as he scored 25 and 21, in the previous two matches.
Tom Thibodeau could be without Gorgui Dieng who missed the last two games with a sprained right index finger, and although being listed as questionable for the clash with Utah, he didn’t feature, so he is doubtful once again for this one. Taj Gibson and Nemanja Bjelica will see more time on the floor if Dieng is unable to perform. The Timberwolves are scoring 108.77 points per contest on average (8th in the NBA), while they are allowing 110.67 points in return (27th in the NBA). It is evident that Minnesota’s defense is among the weakest in the league, but they are letting the opponents just 40.46 rebounds per game, which is good enough for the fourth place in the NBA.
San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves Trends & Prediction
The Spurs are 7-7 against the spread (1-5 away), while they are 6-8 on over/under (2-4 away), and predicting the winner on their road matches is somewhat tricky so far. I would go with OVER here as I believe San Antonio’s excellent defense will allow 100+, but the offense will undoubtedly respond with 100+ as well.
The Timberwolves are 6-6-1 against the spread (3-2 home), while they are 6-6-1 on over/under (2-2-1 home), and it suggests that the Wolves are quite unpredictable in this campaign, but considering their offense of late, I think we will see a bunch of points on Wednesday.
My Pick: Pass
Total: Over 209.5 points (-110)
