The Houston Rockets (55-14) travel to Minnesota to play the Timberwolves (40-30) in a game that has the potential to be high-scoring. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 18, 2018, and will air on NBATV.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 221 points with Houston set as a 7-point favorite.
Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Prediction
In the Rockets’ last outing, they defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 107-101. The Rockets had 10 steals and had an offensive rebounding percentage of 27.7 (above their season average of 21.9). Houston was led by James Harden, who was the game’s high scorer with 32 points on 11-for-28 shooting.
The Timberwolves lost to the San Antonio Spurs in their last game, 117-101. San Antonio’s turnover percentage was their biggest strength over Minnesota. The Spurs had a rate of 4.7 (better than their season average of 12.1), while the Timberwolves posted a mark of 15.1 (above their season average of 10.8). With 21 points, five rebounds and five assists, Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins had a good performance.
It might turn into a high-scoring affair as a pair of the league’s best offenses face off. Minnesota ranks third with 112.0 points per 100 possessions and Houston is second (113.9).
Houston comes into the game with records of 55-14 straight up (SU) and 36-31-1 against the spread (ATS). Of the Rockets’ 68 games with betting action, 37 have finished under the O/U total.
Meanwhile, Minnesota owns records of 40-30 SU and 32-34-3 ATS. Of the Timberwolves’ 69 games that accepted bets, 38 have finished over the total.
The Rockets have won all three contests against the Timberwolves this season, including a decisive 18-point victory in their last matchup. Houston covered as an 8-point favorite and the game finished with a total of 222 points, which was just 1 points below the projected point total of 223 points. The Rockets knocked down 26 of their 30 free throws (86.7 percent) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.566 vs. 0.479). Clint Capela put up a double-double in the victory with 25 points and 11 rebounds.
Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Rockets, ATS Winner – Rockets, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Houston is 23-12 ATS with 21 unders, 13 overs and 1 push.
Minnesota is 17-16-1 ATS at home with 19 overs, 14 unders and 1 push.
Houston is 26-2 when they allow less than 100 points, while Minnesota is 16-4.
The Timberwolves are 38-20 when they reach 100 points, while the Rockets are 53-11.
Houston ranks first in three pointers attempted per game (42.2) while Minnesota ranks last (22.2).
The Timberwolves average 48.9 points in the paint per game, which ranks fifth in the NBA. The Rockets rank 28th in points allowed in the paint per game (48.0).
Minnesota ranks third in second chance points per game (13.9) while Houston ranks 20th (11.5).
The Rockets rank 15th in fast break points per game (11.6) while the Timberwolves rank 26th (9.5).
Minnesota averages 17.9 points off turnovers per game, which ranks fifth in the NBA. Houston ranks 14th in points off turnovers allowed per game (16.0).
The Timberwolves rank first in steals allowed per game (6.4) while the Rockets rank eighth (7.3).
Houston leads the league with 41.2 rebounds allowed per game while Minnesota is third with 41.7 rebounds allowed per game.
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Houston is 3-2 ATS with 5 unders.
Minnesota is 2-3 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Rockets’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 9.4, up from 8.9 for the season.
During their last five games, the Timberwolves have scored an average of 108.6 points per game (1.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 112.8 points per game (5.5 above their season average).
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