NBA Odds: Timberwolves (even)
The Memphis Grizzlies (41-15), who have the top scoring defense in the league, will go head-to-head against the Minnesota Timberwolves (13-43) at the Target Center. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 28 and can be seen on SPSO and FSN-N+.
The Timberwolves played well in their last game, blowing out the Wizards 97-77 on Wednesday. Kevin Martin was the game’s leading scorer with 28 points on 10-for-15 shooting. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 102-90 loss against the Kings on Wednesday. Marc Gasol had a good game for Memphis, registering 14 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Timberwolves had the upper hand in the most recent game, a close 90-89 win. Gasol had a standout performance with 15 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block in the loss.
The odds for Minnesota and Memphis are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Timberwolves have gone 13-43 Straight Up (SU) and 24-30-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 5-28 SU and 15-16-2 ATS against the Western Conference.
In the other locker room, the Grizzlies have a record of 28-26-2 ATS and 41-15 SU. Against the Western Conference, Memphis is 25-10 SU and 18-17 ATS. The Grizzlies convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking fourth in the league at .778. Moving on to Memphis’s defense, Memphis’s defense allows just 95.6 points per game, ranking them first in the league.
In their previous meeting this season, Minnesota beat Memphis, but the win was not enough for them to overtake Memphis in the recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 3-7 SU over the most recent 10 meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. In these last 10 matchups, Minnesota held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers two times, with Memphis controlling all three of these areas once.
Predictions: SU Winner – MEM, ATS Winner – MEM
Notes
On average, Minnesota scores 96.5 points per home game (ranked 23rd), while Memphis gives up 96.7 points per away game (ranked third).
In its last game, Minnesota won by a 20-point margin. Memphis is 5-1 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Minnesota has a 1-8 record in blowouts.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Memphis Grizzlies are an outstanding 30-5. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Minnesota Timberwolves have an abysmal record of 5-26.
When giving up at least 100 points, Memphis has an 11-10 record. When Minnesota hits triple digits, it is a poor 8-17.
The Timberwolves have a defensive rating of 107.8 (ranked 29th), while the Grizzlies rank 11th for their offensive rating of 104.2.
The Memphis Grizzlies have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking eighth in the league with a FG% of 45.9%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a subpar 7-35 record.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Memphis Grizzlies both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Minnesota is 28th and 24th in the league for EFF% and FG% respectively, while Memphis ranks 17th and eighth in these categories.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rank 20th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.52. The Memphis Grizzlies have a higher A/TO (1.74), ranking eighth.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rebound 41.8 times per game and are ranked 25th. Ranked 18th, the Memphis Grizzlies rebound 43.1 times per game.
The Memphis Grizzlies rank 19th in offensive rebounding, while the Minnesota Timberwolves rank 29th in defensive rebounding.
On average, the Timberwolves force a turnover rate of 15.3%, ranked eighth in the NBA. When the Grizzlies turn over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 10-4 record.
