The Denver Nuggets will be at the Target Center to take on a divisional foe in the Minnesota Timberwolves. The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Dec. 15 and will air on ALT, FNo and C+D.
The Timberwolves were beaten by the Suns 108-101 on Sunday. Zach LaVine was the game’s high scorer, contributing 28 points. The Nuggets, meanwhile, are coming off a 114-108 win over the Rockets on Monday. Will Barton led the team in scoring with 23 points on 8-for-18 shooting.
Over the last five games, Karl-Anthony Towns has been playing at a high level for the Timberwolves. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.2 blocks, and 0.8 three-pointers. On the other side, the Nuggets have been led by Danilo Gallinari. He has been on fire, averaging 19.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.0 steal, and 2.2 three-pointers in the same time frame.
The two teams have split their matchups this season. The Nuggets had the upper hand in the most recent game, a close 111-108 win. Gallinari was the game’s leading scorer with 23 points.
The Timberwolves are a six-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 205 points. The Timberwolves are looking to improve on their records of 9-14 Straight Up (SU) and 10-12-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 4-8 SU and 4-7-1 ATS against teams from the Western Conference. Minnesota has been steady from the free throw line, shooting a stellar .805.
On the other side, Denver has a SU record of 10-14 and an ATS record of 11-11-2. Denver has records of 2-3 SU and ATS against the Northwest. Denver may be taking trips to the free throw line early and often with the Timberwolves averaging 23.5 fouls per game, one of the highest marks in the NBA.
With the Nuggets’ last win against Minnesota, their SU record rises to 6-4 over the Timberwolves in the last 10 games. Additionally, with a 6-4 record, the Nuggets have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Min, ATS Winner – Min, O/U – Over
Notes
Minnesota is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games.
Minnesota is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota’s last 5 games.
Minnesota is 3-17 SU in its last 20 games at home.
Minnesota is 1-11-1 ATS in its last 13 games at home.
Minnesota is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Denver.
Minnesota is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games when playing Denver.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota’s last 8 games when playing at home against Denver.
Minnesota is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Denver.
Minnesota is struggling at 1-3 SU in its division, while Denver is 2-3 SU.
Denver ranks 22nd in points per game with 97.5, while Minnesota ranks 24th in points allowed with an average of 103.5 given up.
Minnesota ranks 26th in points allowed per home game (106.0 PPG), while Denver ranks 20th in points per away game with 97.9.
When Denver allows fewer than 100 points, it has a subpar 3-7 record this season. Minnesota also has a poor record when it scores fewer than 100 (2-5).
The Nuggets have an even 7-7 record when they allow at least 100 points. When the Timberwolves reach the century mark, they are 7-9.
The Nuggets have an offensive rating of 99.4 (ranked 26th), while the Timberwolves rank 17th for their defensive rating of 102.9.
Minnesota has an average field goal percentage of 44.7%. Denver is a poor 4-8 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
Minnesota attempts an average of 16.0 three pointers per game, and Denver attempts 23.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Timberwolves are undefeated at 1-0 while the Nuggets have a 6-5 record.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rank 20th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.40. The Denver Nuggets have a higher A/TO (1.48), ranking 15th.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rebound 44.6 times per game and are ranked 11th. Ranked ninth, the Denver Nuggets rebound 44.8 times per game.
The Denver Nuggets rank ninth in offensive rebounding, while the Minnesota Timberwolves rank eighth in defensive rebounding.
Minnesota has forced an average turnover percentage of 14.4% this season. Denver has a losing 5-8 record when its TOV% is 14.4% or higher.
