NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Miami Heat Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Miami Heat will clash tonight at the FTX Arena. This will be the best game tonight for many, as both sides have a massive highlight-reel potential. Injuries are creating certain problems for Chris Finch and Erik Spoelstra, but even so, this game should be pretty exciting. Both sides had games last night, with the difference that the T-Wolves had to travel while Miami played at home.

Preview

Minnesota Timberwolves (38-30, +195) got Anthony Edwards back in Orlando, but they lost against the Magic, which is a bit of a surprise. Especially once we see that the Timberwolves played exquisitely before last night’s event posting six victories in a row.

Orlando won this game in the third period, once they managed to flip the result and take the first lead, after outscoring the rivals 37-28 in those 12 minutes alone. Minnesota allowed the Magic to control the glass, having 12 boards fewer than them, 49-37.

Anthony Edwards scored 25 points, with five assists, while KAT had 21 with 13 boards, two blocks, and steals. Meanwhile, D’Angelo Russell was below his level with only 13 points and seven assists, shooting 4-for-12 from the field. Overall, the bench had just two notable players, Josh McDaniels and Jaylen Nowell, who had 12 points each.

Miami Heat (45-23, -265) have eight wins in the past 10 games, and overall, they look like true title contenders. It’s no wonder they lead the East and have 45 wins so far. The Heat beat the Cavs on Friday night, 117-105, breaking the rival’s resistance in the third period once hosts limited them to only 15 points while scoring 27.

In the key moments, the Heat defense played good basketball, making stops or forcing the Cavs to shoot from tough positions. Also, the hosts decreased Cleveland’s efficiency from downtown, limiting them to just eight threes in 25 attempts. One other factor in favor of the Heat were turnovers because Cleveland had 17, and the hosts nine.

Jimmy Butler did play in the end, and he had 24 points, five assists and four boards, while Bam Adebayo had a team-high and was the best player on the court. The strong center dropped 30 points with 17 boards and three steals, shooting 11-for-16 from the field. Tyler Herro and Max Strus were clinical off the bench with 22 and 17 points, respectively.

Head to Head

The season’s first meeting took place on November 24, and the Timberwolves used the home-court advantage, beating the Miami Heat, 113-101. Edwards scored 33 points with 14 assists, while Russell had 20. Bam Adebayo posted 18, Duncan Robinson 17, and Jimmy Butler 16 for the Heat.

Prediction

The hosts are playing with the best squad, and when Spoelstra has all of his players at disposal at home, there is no other option but to bet on the Heat’s win. The spread is six points, and we believe that Miami won’t have trouble covering it, particularly because they had more time to rest than the T-Wolves. Also, the Heat has a more diverse offense and a deeper roster, making it easier for them to keep the high pace and thus break the guests.

Pick: Heat -6