The Detroit Pistons will travel to the Target Center to square off against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Nov. 20 and will air on FxD and FNo.
The Timberwolves lost a tough one against the Magic 104-101 on Wednesday. Andrew Wiggins finished with 28 points to lead the game. The Pistons, meanwhile, are coming off a 104-99 win over the Cavaliers on Tuesday. Andre Drummond had a good game, recording 25 points and 18 rebounds to claim his 11th double-double of the season.
Over the last five games, Wiggins has been playing at a high level for the Timberwolves. During that stretch, he has averaged 23.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 0.6 three-pointers.
Keep an eye on Minnesota’s ability to get to the charity stripe. The team ranks third in the league in free throw attempt rate (33.9), but Detroit is among the best in the NBA at keeping opponents off the line (ranking fifth by allowing a free throw attempt rate of 25.3).
The Timberwolves are a small two-point underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 201 points. The Timberwolves enter the game with records of 5-7 Straight Up (SU) and 7-5 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 3-4 SU and 5-2 ATS against teams from the Eastern Conference. The Timberwolves are a dangerously accurate shooting team from the line with a .798 free throw percentage, one of the highest marks in the NBA.
Across the court, the Pistons head into the game with records of 6-5 both ATS and SU. In Western Conference games, Detroit has gone 3-4 SU and ATS.
This is the first meeting of the season for the Timberwolves and the Pistons. The last time they played Minnesota came out on top, bringing its SU record to 10-0 over the Pistons in the last 10 games. Additionally, with an 8-1-1 record, the Timberwolves have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Det, ATS Winner – Min, O/U – Under
Notes
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota’s last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota’s last 6 games at home.
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Minnesota is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home.
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit.
Minnesota is 6-0-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Detroit.
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit.
Minnesota is 3-8-1 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against Detroit.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota’s last 7 games when playing at home against Detroit.
Detroit is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota.
On average, Detroit scores 97.3 points per game (ranked 25th), while Minnesota allows 103.3 points per game (ranked 20th).
Minnesota ranks 29th in points allowed per home game (109.8 PPG), while Detroit ranks 19th in points per away game with 99.1.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Pistons are 5-2 on the season. When the Timberwolves score fewer than 100, they are a losing 1-2.
Detroit is a losing 1-3 when it allows 100 or more points. Minnesota has a 4-5 record when it hits triple digits.
The Pistons have an offensive rating of 98.5 (ranked 27th), while the Timberwolves rank 16th for their defensive rating of 101.3.
Detroit has an average field goal percentage of 41.9%. Minnesota is a subpar 2-6 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, the Minnesota Timberwolves make 20.8 assists per game and the Detroit Pistons make 16.7. Minnesota is ranked 20th, while Detroit is ranked 30th.
The Minnesota Timberwolves average 4.8 blocks per game for a rank of 17th. The Detroit Pistons rank lower (30th), earning 3.0 blocks each game.
Minnesota is ranked 18th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Detroit ranks 13th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Detroit makes 8.2 steals per game. Minnesota is a losing 1-4 when it gives up at least 8 steals.
