The Minnesota Timberwolves will be at Vivint Smart Home Arena to face off against a divisional foe in the Utah Jazz. The game begins at 9:00 pm ET on Friday, Apr. 1 and can be seen on RT.
The Jazz are expecting better results after their 103-96 loss to the Warriors on Wednesday. Rodney Hood had a good game for the Jazz, finishing with 20 points, six rebounds, and one steal. The Timberwolves, meanwhile, are coming off an ugly 99-79 loss to the Clippers on Wednesday. Nemanja Bjelica stood out for Minnesota, recording 14 points, seven rebounds, and one assist.
Karl-Anthony Towns has been hot over the last five games for the Timberwolves, averaging 22.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steal, 1.2 blocks, and 0.8 three-pointers.
The Jazz have won two out of three against the Timberwolves this season, including a 93-84 victory in their last matchup. Despite the loss, Ricky Rubio was the game’s leading scorer with 23 points.
The Jazz come into this game 37-38 Straight Up (SU) and 37-37-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 3-11 SU and 6-8 ATS against divisional opponents. Utah has averaged 106.1 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 97.8. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Jazz. The 96.2 points that Utah’s defense allows per game makes them the second-ranked defense in the league.
Over on the other bench, the Timberwolves have 25-50 SU and 35-39-1 ATS records. Most recently, Minnesota is 7-3 ATS over the last 10 games. When it comes to scoring, the Timberwolves haven’t performed as well against teams from the Northwest. During those games, they averaged PPG, below their 102.0 PPG season average. The Timberwolves get to the line and convert their free throws at a high volume, leading the league with 1,619 made (21.0 per game). The Timberwolves average 105.9 points allowed per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 89.2 points per game during that span.
The Jazz’s win over Minnesota in their last game brought their SU record to 6-4 over the Timberwolves in the last 10 games. The teams have an even record ATS, 5-5.
Predictions: SU Winner – Uta
Notes
Utah ranks 28th in points per game with 97.8, while Minnesota ranks 24th in points allowed with an average of 105.9 given up.
Utah ranks 27th in points per home game with 99.1 points, while Minnesota ranks 23rd in points allowed on the road with 106.8.
In its last game, Minnesota lost by a 20-point margin. Utah is 11-7 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Minnesota has a 1-7 record in blowouts.
When giving up fewer than 100 points, the Minnesota Timberwolves have an 11-9 record. When scoring fewer than 100 points, the Utah Jazz have a poor record of 18-30.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have a losing 14-41 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Utah Jazz are 19-8 when they hit the century mark.
The Timberwolves have an offensive rating of 104.6 (ranked 12th), while the Jazz rank ninth for their defensive rating of 102.4.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking eighth in the league with a FG% of 46.2%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Utah Jazz have an underachieving 6-27 record.
On average, Utah attempts 23.0 three pointers and Minnesota attempts 16.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Jazz are even at 16-16 while the Timberwolves have a winning 3-1 record.
The Utah Jazz rank 28th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.33. The Minnesota Timberwolves have a higher A/TO (1.60), ranking 15th.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league with just 41.7 per game. Ranked 17th, the Utah Jazz average 43.4 rebounds.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rank 20th in offensive rebounding, while the Utah Jazz rank 23rd in defensive rebounding.
Utah has forced an average turnover percentage of 14.2% this season. Minnesota has a losing 12-32 record when its TOV% is 14.2% or higher.
