The Miami Heat (6-3) will be at home when they face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves (4-6). Action begins at 7:30 pm ET on Tuesday, Nov. 17 and can be seen on SUN and FNo.
The Heat enter this game hoping for similar success after edging the Jazz 92-91 in their last matchup. Chris Bosh was the team’s leading scorer with 25 points on 9-for-18 shooting. The Timberwolves, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 114-106 loss against the Grizzlies on Sunday. Andrew Wiggins had a good game for Minnesota, accounting for 21 points, one steal, and one rebound.
Wiggins has upped his play for the Timberwolves. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 24.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 1.0 three-pointer.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Heat winning the first matchup 96-84. Dwyane Wade was the game’s top overall scorer with 25 points.
This one isn’t expected to be close when the Heat, a substantial nine-point favorite, take on the Timberwolves. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently 195 points. The Heat have gone 6-3 Straight Up (SU) and 5-4 Against The Spread (ATS). The Heat prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking first in the league with 56 total three-pointers allowed (6.0 per game). Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Heat, who rank second in the league in blocks per game with 7.3.
Over on the other bench, the Timberwolves have 4-6 SU and 5-5 ATS records. Despite having a losing record against the Eastern Conference, Minnesota is successful ATS in those games with a record of 3-2. The Timberwolves convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking fifth in the league at .798.
Miami beat Minnesota in their most recent meeting this season, bumping its SU record to 8-2 over the Timberwolves in their last 10 meetings. With an 8-2 record, the Heat also have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mia, ATS Winner – Mia, O/U – Under
Notes
Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami’s last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami’s last 5 games at home.
Miami is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home.
Miami is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing Minnesota.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Miami’s last 9 games when playing Minnesota.
Miami is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Minnesota.
Minnesota is 6-14 ATS in its last 20 games when playing on the road against Miami.
Miami ranks 25th in points per game with 96.6, while Minnesota ranks 24th in points allowed with an average of 104.5 given up.
On average, Miami puts up 99.0 points per home game (ranked 20th), while Minnesota allows 99.2 points per away game (ranked eighth).
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Heat are 6-2 on the season. When the Timberwolves score fewer than 100, they are a losing 1-2.
At 0-1, the Miami Heat are winless when their opponents score at least 100 points. The Minnesota Timberwolves are 3-4 when they hit the century mark.
The Timberwolves have a defensive rating of 103.4 (ranked 19th). The Heat rank 10th for their offensive rating of 102.9.
Miami averages fewer possessions per game than Minnesota, with 93.9 compared to 100.5. However, the Heat score an average of 1.029 points per possession, more than the 1.026 that the Timberwolves score.
Miami is among the top-ranked teams based on its average effective field goal percentage of 49.9% (ranked 10th in the NBA). Minnesota is a subpar 1-6 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Miami Heat, with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.45, rank 15th in the NBA. The Minnesota Timberwolves have a lower A/TO (1.41), ranking 19th.
The Miami Heat rebound 44.4 times per game and are ranked 15th. Ranked 17th, the Minnesota Timberwolves rebound 43.8 times per game.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rank 20th in offensive rebounding, while the Miami Heat rank seventh in defensive rebounding.
On average, the Timberwolves force a turnover rate of 14.6%. When the Heat turn over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 2-1 record.
