NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Philadelphia 76ers Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Philadelphia 76ers don’t have any time to rest as Minnesota Timberwolves come to the Wells Fargo Center. This is a promising matchup because Minnesota plays tough and very efficient basketball. Though the T-Wolves are highly inconsistent, and instead of attacking the top of the West, they are slightly under .500. Meanwhile, the 76ers are slightly above that percentage and also underachieve. Philly played last night, and they have another challenge coming up, plus, Tyrese Maxey picked up an injury. Though spot for the hosts indeed.

Preview

Minnesota Timberwolves (7-8, +115) plays its fourth straight road game, third in the East. So far, they have one loss and two victories, back-to-back, that preceded this event. Following a loss in Memphis, the T-Wolves were better in Cleveland and Orlando.

They scored more than 125 points in both games, beating the Cavs, 129-104, and the Magic 126-108. It appears that they found some of their offensive rhythms, but knowing the Wolves, this could be a short burst. Their biggest problem this year is inconsistency, and that’s something they would need to eliminate in order to reach the playoffs.

Edwards with 35 and KAT with 30 buckets, led the way against the Magic. the Antman had eight boards and six assists, and seven threes made, while Towns shot 10-for-15 from the field. Rudy Gobert recorded 16 points and eight boards.

Philadelphia 76ers (8-7, -125) defeated the Milwaukee Bucks last night, 110-102, coming back from behind, erasing a 10+ point deficit, then losing their lead, before having a strong finish during which they broke the rivals. Philly was without Harris, Korkmaz, and Harden, and during the game, Maxey picked up an injury as well, and he won’t be available tonight.

Joel Embiid took the responsibility, scoring 32 points with 11 boards and eight assists, playing very well in the clutch moments. Maxey stopped at 24 points with five assists in 21 minutes played.

The boys off the bench were pretty good, especially Georges Niang and Shake Milton. Niang had 17 points and three boards, while Milton scored 15 and had six dimes. By the way, Philly shot 51.3% from the field, which was one of the difference-makers in this event. Be sure that the hosts wouldn’t win if it was slightly different.

Head to Head Games

Each team had a win in last year’s direct meetings, and those wins came on the road. At first, the Timberwolves beat the 76ers in Philly following two overtimes, 121-120, and after that, the Sixers rolled over the Wolves in Minneapolis, 132-102.

Prediction

Philly is banged up, especially with Maxey out of the picture. This guy has been an x-factor in most games this year, and he slowly became one of the best players on the team, maybe even surpassing James Harden in certain aspects. Now, even if Harris and Kormaz play, Philly will have problems organizing the game, and there is another negative factor for the hosts. Embiid needs to take care of his body, and let us remind, this is a second of back-to-back nights. On the other hand, the T-Wolves are healthy and rested, which is why we go with an upset here and pick the guests.

Pick: Timberwolves +115