The Cleveland Cavaliers (24-9) look to extend their five-game winning streak when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves (12-24) at the Target Center. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Jan. 8 and will air on ESP, FxO, C+D and C+.
The Timberwolves lost to the Nuggets 78-74 on Wednesday. Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 14 points and 14 rebounds, earning his 17th double-double of the year. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are coming off a 121-115 win over the Wizards on Wednesday. LeBron James played well, accumulating 34 points and 10 rebounds to claim his 11th double-double of the season.
Kyrie Irving has been on a tear over the last five games for the Cavaliers, averaging 23.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.2 three-pointers.
The Over/Under (O/U) for this game is set at 201 points and the Timberwolves are a heavy nine-point underdog. The Timberwolves look to improve upon their records of 12-24 Straight Up (SU) and 14-21-1 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 3-7 ATS. Minnesota has been struggling as of late. In the last 10 games, Minnesota has only averaged 90.7 points per game compared to the 98.9 they’ve averaged on the season. The Timberwolves are a dangerously accurate shooting team from the line with a .794 free throw percentage, one of the highest marks in the NBA.
Across the court, the Cavaliers head into the game with records of 14-18-1 ATS and 24-9 SU. Against teams in the Western Conference, Cleveland has a record of 6-3 SU, but only 3-5-1 ATS. Cleveland’s defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking third in the NBA with only 95.3 points allowed per game. Teams don’t seem to hit many three-pointers against the Cavaliers, who are second in the league in terms of three-point field goals allowed at 245 this season. Cleveland may be taking trips to the free throw line early and often with the Timberwolves averaging 22.7 fouls per game, one of the highest marks in the NBA.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time the Timberwolves and the Cavaliers played, Cleveland won, taking the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over the past 10 meetings. However, with a 6-4 record, the Timberwolves have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cle, ATS Winner – Cle, O/U – Under
Notes
Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
Minnesota is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota’s last 5 games at home.
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Minnesota is 3-16-1 ATS in its last 20 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota’s last 8 games when playing Cleveland.
Minnesota is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games when playing Cleveland.
Minnesota is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Cleveland.
Minnesota is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Cleveland.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota’s last 8 games when playing at home against Cleveland.
Minnesota ranks 21st in points per game with 98.9, while Cleveland ranks third in points allowed with an average of 95.3 given up.
Minnesota averages 98.9 points per home game, placing the team just 27th in the league. Cleveland ranks third in points allowed on the road, giving up 95.3 points per away game.
Minnesota has a solid 9-5 record this season when it gives up under 100 points in a game. Cleveland is sitting at an even 7-7 record when it scores under 100.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have an abysmal 3-19 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 17-2 when they hit triple digits.
The Timberwolves have an offensive rating of 101.1 (ranked 25th). The Cavaliers rank seventh for their defensive rating of 99.9.
Minnesota averages 97.9 possessions per game, scoring 1.011 points on each possession. While Cleveland averages fewer possessions per game with 95.5, the team scores more points per possession with 1.059.
Cleveland has an average effective field goal percentage of 51.2% (ranked sixth in the league}. Minnesota is an underachieving 2-14 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, Minnesota attempts 15.0 three pointers and Cleveland attempts 28.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Timberwolves are undefeated at 1-0 while the Cavaliers have a winning 15-9 record.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rank 19th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.51. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a higher A/TO (1.65), ranking ninth.
The Timberwolves rank 22nd in rebounds per game with 42.5, while the Cavaliers rank seventh with 44.9 per game.
The Cleveland Cavaliers rank 12th in offensive rebounding, while the Minnesota Timberwolves rank 21st in defensive rebounding.
On average, the Timberwolves force a turnover rate of 15.0%. When the Cavaliers turn over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a stellar 11-3 record.
