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The Houston Rockets host the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Toyota Center on Tuesday night.
The Wolves have dropped to next to last in the Western Conference after going 3-7 SU in their last 10 outings. Minnesota has lost back to back games and they are 19-44 on the season and out of playoff contention. The Rockets have lost four straight games and have fallen to sixth place in the Western Conference. Houston is 39-24 this season and they need to get back on track ASAP. The Rockets won the last meeting between these two teams last January 24, 2020, and lead the season series 3-0.
Second Loss to Pelicans in a Week
The Minnesota Timberwolves lost to the New Orleans Pelicans for the second time in a week. The Pelicans defeated the Wolves 120-107 on Sunday to deal Minnesota its second straight defeat and their fourth loss in their last six games played. They are 9-19 without Karl Anthony Towns who is still healing a broken left wrist.
Malik Beasley led Minnesota with 21 points and 9 rebounds. Beasley has put up nine 20-point games in 13 appearances with the Wolves. D’Angelo Russell added 19 points for Minnesota but he has shot 32.9% from the floor over his last five games played. Minnesota got 42 points from their bench in a losing effort.
The Wolves rank 9th in the league in scoring at 113.3 points per game this season. They are 15th in rebounding at 44.9 boards grabbed per contest and are 18th in passing at 23.9 assists per game. Minnesota is third from the bottom in scoring defense at 117.6 points per game allowed.
Rockets Fall to Sixth Place
The Houston Rockets suffered their fourth consecutive defeat when they lost to the Orlando Magic 106-126 on Sunday night. The loss enabled the Oklahoma City Thunder to pass Houston for 5th place in the Western Conference team standings. Houston had won six straight games before this slum and this is their longest losing streak of the season.
Russell Westbrook led the Rockets with 24 points. Russ has scored at least 20 points in a career-best 33 consecutive games but he also committed eight turnovers against the Magic. James Harden added 23 points but the Beard shot just 6-19 from the floor and netted four turnovers against Orlando.
The Rockets are the second-highest scoring team in the league this season at 118.1 points per game. They are 13th in rebounding at 45.1 boards grabbed per contest and are next to last in passing at 21.4 assists per game. Houston is 22nd overall in scoring defense at 114.4 points per game allowed.
Who Wins?
Minnesota is 3-7 SU in their last 10 games played. The Timberwolves are 2-3 SU in their last five games played on the road, and 2-12 SU in their last 14 games played against the Western Conference. Houston is 1-4 SU in their last five games played. The Rockets are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games played at home. Head to head, the Rockets are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games played against the T-Wolves. Houston is also 16-0 SU in their last 16 home games against Minnesota.
The Wolves are out of the playoff race and may be better off losing games than winning them right now. They are also without Karl Anthony Towns who is still healing his injury. D’Angelo Russell is currently on a dry spell and the Wolves have lost three out of their last five assignments.
Houston needs to end its slump right now with Utah and OKC already surpassing them in the team standings. The Rockets need to get back on track and playing an eliminated team like the Timberwolves is a good game to start. Without KAT, Houston’s small-ball won’t face height problems.
The Rockets have lost four in a row but they’ve never lost more than four games this season. Houston is also at home where they are 21-10. The Wolves have won just 11 times on the road this season. Houston leads the season series 3-0 and look for them to get the sweep here.
Prediction: Houston Rockets
Other Bets to Make
The Wolves are 5-15 ATS in their last 20 games played. Minnesota is 3-2 ATS in their last five games played on the road, and 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games played against the Southwest Division. The Rockets are 0-4-1 ATS in their last five games played. Houston is 2-3 ATS in their last five games played at home, and 1-4 ATS in their last five games played in March. Head to head, the Rockets are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games played against the Timberwolves.
Timberwolves
+12.5 (-110)
Rockets
-12.5 (-110)
Odds from BetOnline as of 03/10/20
With how the Rockets have struggled as of late, I won’t blame you if you don’t trust them right now. However, Houston is looking for that one game to set everything right and this one seems tailor-made for them. Minnesota doesn’t have the size and they don’t have the firepower to match the Rockets. I’ll bet the chalk here.
Prediction: Rockets -12.5
The total has gone over in 10 out of the last 14 games played by the Timberwolves. Minnesota has seen the total go over in each of their last five games played on the road. The total has gone over in four out of their last seven games played. The over is 3-2 in Houston’s last five games played at home. Head to head, the total has gone over in six out of the last nine games between these two teams.
Over
244.5 (-110)
Under
244.5 (-110)
Odds from BetOnline as of 03/10/20
These teams have combined to score an average of 244.0 points per game in their last three head to head encounters. The Wolves have gone over the 244 total in five out of their last eight games played. The Rockets have 106 or fewer points in their last three games played but against a team that doesn’t play defense like the Wolves, Houston’s offensive prowess should be in full display here.
Prediction: Over 244.5
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