Minnesota Timberwolves (24-8) vs New Orleans Pelicans (19-14)
Game Info: Wednesday, January 3, 2024 at 8:00 pm (Target Center)
Betting Odds: Minnesota Timberwolves -6.5 -- Over/Under: 223.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
The New Orleans Pelicans and the Minnesota Timberwolves collide at the Target Center on Wednesday night. Here’s a Pelicans vs Timberwolves Prediction.
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans have been in great shape as they've won eight of their last 11 games overall and they will be gunning for a fourth straight win after routing the Nets in a 112-85 home win last night. CJ McCollum led the team in scoring with 16 points and five assists, Herbert Jones added 14 points while Jose Alverado chipped in with 13 points off the bench. As a team, the Pelicans shot 46 percent from the field and 16 of 39 from the 3-point line, but they set up this win with their effort on defense as they were always in control after holding the Nets to just 34 points in the first half.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been in great shape as they've won seven of their last 10 games overall, but they will be looking to bounce back here after coming up short against the Knicks in a 112-106 road defeat on Monday. Anthony Edwards led the team with 35 points on 11 of 21 shooting, Karl-Anthony Towns added 29 points while Rudy Gobert chipped in with 10 points and 15 rebounds. As a team, the Timberwolves shot 47 percent from the field and 11 of 28 from the 3-point line, but they hit a cold patch and were always fighting an uphill battle after getting outscored by 38-17 in a nightmare of a second quarter. The Timberwolves did make a late rally to make things interesting late, but they were never truly a threat after falling behind by 22 points.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Timberwolves rank 1st in the league for opponent points per game this season (107.5).
- The Timberwolves rank 30th in the league for field goal attempts per game this season (84.1).
- The Pelicans rank 1st in the league for opponent steals per game this season (6.4).
- The Pelicans rank 30th in the league for opponent three-point field goals attempts per game this season (39.2).
Pelicans vs Timberwolves Prediction
The Pelicans are still missing Trey Murphy, while the Timberwolves are still without Jaylen Clark who is dealing with an Achilles injury. The Pelicans have gotten all their key players back and they're really starting to play some of their best basketball of the season, while the Timberwolves are coming into this one off a rare loss after getting beaten by the Knicks on Monday. The Timberwolves have the advantage of extra rest and they have won 14 of their 15 home games, but the Pelicans beat the Timberwolves just over two weeks ago and I think they can get the upset win once again.
Peter’s Pick New Orleans +6.5
AUTHOR: Peter Tran
