The Golden State Warriors head to Target Center for a showdown with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.
The Dubs and Wolves are separated by 4 spots in the Western Conference team standings with Golden State currently occupying an outright playoff position and Minnesota one of four play-in tournament teams.
Golden State has been miserable on the road this season but they are coming off their first back-to-back road wins of the campaign. Minnesota won four in a row at home before losing their most recent game at Target Center.
The Warriors defeated the Timberwolves by 23 points at 137-114 during their first meeting of the season last November 27, 2022.
The Warriors defeated the OKC Thunder 128-120 on the road last Monday. Golden State raced to an early 38-20 lead and never looked back. Steph Curry led the Dubs with 38 points and 12 assists while his Splash Brother Klay Thompson added 28. Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole combined to score 30 points as Golden State won back-to-back road games for the first time this season.
With the victory, Golden State moved to two games above the .500 mark at 26-24. They are now in 5th place in the Western Conference team standings and are just one-half game behind the L.A. Clippers for the final playoff spot with home-court advantage in the conference.
The Dubs are the second-highest scoring team in the NBA at 118.1 points per game this season while shooting 47.4% from the field and 38.3% from three-ball. Steph Curry leads the team in scoring at 29.7 points per game while Klay Thompson is finally returning to his old form at 21.1 points per game.
Minnesota saw its two-game winning streak end the last time out when they lost overtime to the Sacramento Kings 111-118. Anthony Edwards led the Wolves with 33 points while Rudy Gobert recorded a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Jaden McDaniels, D’Angelo Russell, and Jaylen Nowell also scored in double-digits with 11,10, and 14 points respectively.
The Wolves are 27-26 SU on the season and they are in 9th place in the latest Western Conference team standings but are just one-half game behind the Warriors who are currently the 5th seed in a tight Western Conference race.
They are 15th in scoring at 115.1 points per game this season and are also 19th in scoring defense at 115 points per game allowed. Edwards is Minnesota’s scoring leader at 24.9 points per game while Russell is backing him up with 17.6 points per contest. Gobert is also putting up double-digit scoring at 13.4 while McDaniels and Nowell are averaging 11.5 points and 10.9 points per game, respectively.
The Warriors are 6-4 SU in their last 10 games played against the Timberwolves. Golden State is however just 1-4 SU in their last 5 games played in Minnesota.
Golden State Warriors SU trends:
Minnesota Timberwolves SU trends:
The Warriors have struggled with injuries to key players this season. Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins have combined for 35 absences in Golden State’s 50 games played so far this season. Meanwhile, Klay Thompson has played only 39 games and Draymond Green has rested some games to preserve his 30+ old body.
But the team has gotten healthier as of late with Wiggins finally rejoining the team last Monday during the Warriors’ 128-120 win over the OKC Thunder. In that game, Curry scored 38 points while Thompson scored 28. Wiggins and Poole each scored 15 while Green added 7 points, 9 rebounds, and 12 assists in a display of the defending champions’ depth.
That was the same depth we saw when the Dubs played the Timberwolves last November. Curry, Thompson, and Jordan Poole all scored 20+ points in that game while Green added 19, Wiggins 17, and Donte DiVincenzo 14. With those names slated to play on Wednesday, the Warriors are confident heading to Minnesota.
The Timberwolves are playing better at home as of late. Minnesota won four in a row before dropping their last home assignment to the Sacramento Kings 118-111 in overtime. Anthony Edwards scored 33 points to lead the Wolves and he has averaged 34.0 points while shooting 43.6% from the field and 50.8% from three-point distance in his last six games played.
Karl Anthony Towns has missed the Timberwolves’ last 32 games with a calf injury. He scored 21 during their first meeting and will sorely be missed here.
The Dubs have climbed to 5th in the latest West standings but are just one-half game up on the Wolves who are in 9th place so this game is important for both teams. The Dubs have struggled on the road this season but they head to Minnesota armed with their first back-to-back road wins of the season.
Golden State has gotten whole again with Wiggins’ return. When this team is complete, we know what they are capable of. The Wolves will see that on Wednesday night.
Prediction: Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games played in Minnesota.
Golden State Warriors ATS trends:
Minnesota Timberwolves ATS trends:
Warriors
-3 (-110)
Timberwolves
+3 (-110)
Odds from BetOnline as of 02/01/2023
The Warriors have gotten healthy and they are starting to play better. With Wiggins back, the Dubs get the much-needed scoring punch outside of the Splash Brothers. Golden State has struggled with injuries this season but now that everyone’s back, the rest of the league has to beware.
Golden State drubbed Minnesota earlier this season by showcasing its depth. With the band back together, they should be able to take care of business again, especially against this mediocre defensive team in Minnesota.
Prediction: Warriors -3
The total has gone over in each of the last 8 meetings played between these two teams. The over is also 4-0 in their last four games played in Minnesota.
Golden State Warriors over/under trends:
Minnesota Timberwolves over/under trends:
Over
239.5 (-110)
Under
239.5 (-110)
Odds from BetOnline as of 02/01/2023
While the T-Wolves only have a 24-29 over/under record, the Warriors are the third-best OVER team in the NBA this season at 29-19-2. The last time these teams played, they combined for 51. With Wiggins back in action, the Golden State offense is at full strength.
The total has averaged 243.5 points in the Warriors’ last 10 games played while the Timberwolves have seen the total hit an average of 228.7 per game in their last 10 outings. I like these teams to combine for at least 240 points.
Prediction: Over 239.5
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