The Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night.
Minnesota is 30-29 SU on the season and they are 10 games behind the Denver Nuggets in the Northwest Division team standings. The Timberwolves are also 8th in the Western Conference team standings and are just one game behind the 6th-seeded L.A. Clippers.
Dallas is 31-27 SU on the season and they are second in the Southwest Division team standings, 4 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies. The Mavericks are also 4th in the West team standings and are just 2 games behind the 3rd-seeded Sacramento Kings.
Dallas has won the last five games played between these two teams. The Mavs are also 22-8 in their last 30 games played in Dallas.
The Wolves continue to miss Karl-Anthony Towns due to injury. Minnesota also traded D’Angelo Russell to the Los Angeles Lakers are the trade deadline. In their first game without D’Lo last week, the Wolves were blown out 128-107 by the Memphis Grizzlies. Mike Conley, whom they acquired in the three-team deal, scored only 9 points in his debut.
Minnesota ranks 10th in the NBA in scoring at 115.7 points per game this season. The Wolves are shooting 49.2% from the floor and 35.8% from three-point distance. However, the team is still without 2nd leading scorer Karl Anthony-Towns (20.8 points per game) while 3rd leading scorer D’Angelo Russell was traded to the Lakers last week. That leaves Anthony Edwards (24.6 points per game) with plenty on his plate.
The Wolves are holding down their opponents to 47.0% field goal shooting and 36.8% three-point shooting. Minnesota is pulling down 41.2 rebounds per game, including 8.9 on the offensive glass. Rudy Gobert is averaging 11.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game this season while Edwards leads the team in steals at 1.3 steals per game.
The Mavs were among the biggest winners of the trade deadline with the team acquiring Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets. Dallas won its first two games with Irving on board but last Saturday, they lost in OT to the Sacramento Kings.
Dallas was scoring 112.9 points per game this season, 21st in the NBA before Kyrie Irving arrived. In Irving’s first three games with the team, the Mavs have upped their scoring average to 120 points per game. Dallas is also in the upper half in FG shooting at 47.2% and a three-point shooting percentage at 36.5%. Doncic is putting up 33.3 points per game this season while Irving is scoring 25.7 PPG in Dallas. Big man Christian Wood, who is healthy once again, is scoring 17.7 points per game this season.
On defense, the Mavs are 10th in the league at 112.2 points per game allowed. They are allowing their opponents to shoot 48.1% from the floor and 35.2% from deep. Off the glass, the Mavericks are grabbing only 38.9 rebounds per game including just 8.0 offensive boards per contest. Luka leads the team with 8.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while Wood is blocking 1.2 shots per game.
The Timberwolves are 4-6 SU in their last 10 games played against the Mavericks. Minnesota is 0-3 SU in their last three games played in Dallas.
Minnesota Timberwolves SU trends:
Dallas Mavericks SU trends:
The Mavs lost in their first game with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving playing together but if that game was any indication, the new teammates won’t have a hard time adjusting to each other’s game.
Irving had his highest-scoring game as a Mavericks player during Saturday’s loss where he tallied 28 points. The Mavs had won their first two games with Irving, and in both games, Doncic was not around. Luka returned from a four-game absence last Saturday and he scored 27 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.
Aside from giving Doncic a boost in scoring, Irving has made Javale McGee a valuable contributor again. In the first two games with Irving, McGee has averaged 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
Dallas could however be without Tim Hardaway Jr. who did not play in the second half last Saturday due to hamstring tightness.
The Wolves are concluding a four-game road trip on Monday. Their last game played was on Friday when they were blown out by the Memphis Grizzlies 128-107. Mike Conley, whom they acquired in the Russell trade, scored 9 points in 26 minutes in his T-Wolves debut.
Conley however is expected to bolster Rudy Gobert’s performance as the two played together in Utah. He is expected to provide the consistency that the team has lacked with Towns out of commission.
The trade deadline has certainly benefited Dallas. On the other hand, the T-Wolves lost their key scorer in D-Lo. With Minnesota still without KAT, they should have a hard time keeping up with the high-scoring duo of Luka and Kyrie.
Prediction: Dallas Mavericks
The Timberwolves are 2-1 ATS in their last 3 games played in Dallas. Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games played in Dallas.
Minnesota Timberwolves ATS trends:
Dallas Mavericks ATS trends:
Timberwolves
+7 (-110)
Mavericks
-7 (-110)
Odds from BetOnline as of 02/13/2023
While Dallas is coming off a loss to the Sacramento Kings, the Mavs have seen their offensive output increase since Kyrie Irving arrived. Irving has averaged 25.7 points per game in three games played with the Mavs and during that span, the Dallas offense has averaged 120 points per game.
The Mavs have also gotten back third-leading scorer Christian Wood who is scoring 17.6 points per game. Dallas will have too much firepower here against a Minnesota team that still doesn’t have Karl-Anthony Towns and which traded D’Angelo Russell to the Lakers at last week’s deadline. The Timberwolves are also just 3-4 ATS in their last 7 games played and 11-16 ATS in 27 road games played this season.
Prediction: Mavericks -7
The total has gone under in each of the last four games played between these two teams. The over is 4-1 in their last 5 games played in Dallas.
Minnesota Timberwolves over/under trends:
Dallas Mavericks over/under trends:
Over
231 (-110)
Under
231 (-110)
Odds from BetOnline as of 02/13/2023
These teams have combined to score just 223.0 points per game in their last 10 head-to-head meetings and an even lower 214.0 points per game in their most recent three encounters, including 203 combined points last December 21, 2022.
However, the Mavericks’ offense has gotten a scoring boost with the arrival of Kyrie Irving. The Mavs have scored an average of 120 points per game in the three games Irving has played so far for them.
Meanwhile, this Minnesota team has allowed at least 118 points four times in their last six games including 127+ points thrice. The Wolves have gone over the 231-point total five times in their last six games played. I like these teams to hit the over.
Prediction: Over 231
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