It will be a battle of division foes when the Portland Trail Blazers (21-26) welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves (14-32) to the Moda Center. The game gets underway at 9:00 pm ET on Sunday, Jan. 31 and will air on NBA, CNW and FNo.
The Trail Blazers beat the Kings 112-97 in their last game. Mason Plumlee had a good game, finishing with 12 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks for the Trail Blazers. The Timberwolves, meanwhile, are coming off a 114-107 loss to the Cavaliers in their last outing. Karl-Anthony Towns had a solid game, recording his 22nd double-double of the season with 26 points and 11 rebounds.
Over the last five games, Towns and Andrew Wiggins have been hot for the Timberwolves. During that stretch, Towns has averaged 20.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steal, 2.4 blocks, and 0.6 three-pointers. Not to be outdone, Wiggins has put up 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.0 steal, and 0.6 blocks.
The aggressive Timberwolves offense seems poised to make an impact from the foul line. They rank second in the NBA at getting to the stripe (free throw attempt rate of 32.7), while Portland is among the league’s most foul-prone squads (giving up a 29th-ranked free throw attempt rate of 31.7).
The Trail Blazers have won both contests against the Timberwolves this season, including a 109-103 victory in their last matchup. In the loss, Towns had a double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds.
The Trail Blazers are a seven-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 206 points. The Trail Blazers are looking to improve on their records of 22-26 Straight Up (SU) and 26-22 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 7-3 ATS. Portland is excellent from the perimeter with 480 three-pointers made (10.0 per game), the third-most in the league. The Trail Blazers have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the fifth-ranked rebounding team in the NBA, averaging 46.0 per game, while the Timberwolves rank 24th in the league with 42.2 per game.
On the other side, Minnesota has a SU record of 14-34 and an ATS record of 20-27-1. Minnesota has records of 2-9 SU and 4-7 ATS against the Northwest. The Timberwolves are getting to the foul line at a high rate, with an NBA-best 974 free throws made (21.0 per game).
With the Trail Blazers’ last win against Minnesota, their SU record against the Timberwolves moves to 7-3 over the last 10 meetings. The Trail Blazers also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-3-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – Por, ATS Winner – Min, O/U – Under
Notes
Portland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Portland’s last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Portland’s last 5 games at home.
Portland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home.
Portland is 11-3-1 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Minnesota.
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Portland’s last 22 games when playing Minnesota.
Portland is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games when playing Minnesota.
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota.
Portland is 6-0-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota.
Portland has a 7-3 record against the Northwest Division this season, while Minnesota has an abysmal 2-7 record against the division.
On average, Minnesota puts up 99.5 points per game (ranked 21st), while Portland allows 102.5 points per game (ranked 18th).
Portland ranks 20th in points allowed per home game (101.7 PPG), while Minnesota ranks 12th in points per away game with 100.6.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Minnesota Timberwolves are a winning 10-6. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Portland Trail Blazers have an underachieving record of 2-16.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Timberwolves are just 4-26 this season. Portland is a solid 19-10 when registering triple digits.
Minnesota’s offense and Portland’s defense both rank 23rd this season. Minnesota has an offensive rating of 102.0 and Portland has a defensive rating of 106.1.
Portland has an average field goal percentage of 44.6%. Minnesota is an abysmal 5-24 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Portland Trail Blazers rank lower for their field goal percentage (17th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (10th), but the Minnesota Timberwolves have a better FG% ranking (11th) than their EFF% ranking (25th).
On average, the Minnesota Timberwolves make 21.9 assists per game and the Portland Trail Blazers make 21.3. Minnesota is ranked 14th, while Portland is ranked 19th.
Portland makes an average of 4.1 blocks per game (ranked 24th). Minnesota ranks higher in blocks with 4.5 (ranked 19th).
The Portland Trail Blazers rank fourth in offensive rebounding, while the Minnesota Timberwolves rank 23rd in defensive rebounding.
On average, Portland makes 6.5 steals per game. Minnesota is a losing 10-27 when it gives up at least 6 steals.
