The Minnesota Timberwolves welcome the Toronto Raptors to the Target Center. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Apr. 1 and can be seen on TSN2 and FSN-N.
The Timberwolves are are hoping for a better outcome after their 104-84 loss to the Jazz on Monday. Zach LaVine was the team’s leading scorer with 21 points. The Raptors, meanwhile, are coming off a 99-96 win against the Rockets on Monday. DeMar DeRozan claimed his fourth double-double of the season with 42 points and 11 rebounds.
Andrew Wiggins has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Timberwolves. During that stretch, he has averaged 23.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steal, and 0.6 blocks. DeRozan has been hot for the Raptors. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 22.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.6 three-pointers.
The prolific offense of the Raptors (fourth in the league with an offensive efficiency of 107.7) will look to pick apart the bottom-tier defense of the Timberwolves (30th in the NBA with a defensive efficiency of 108.3), a matchup that could favor Toronto.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Raptors winning the first matchup 105-100. In the loss, Kevin Martin led all scorers with 37 points.
The odds for Minnesota and Toronto are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Timberwolves have gone 16-58 Straight Up (SU) and 31-41-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 9-19 SU and 11-17 ATS against the Eastern Conference. The Timberwolves are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throws made, making an impressive 19.7 per game. Expect to see a lot of second-chance opportunities for Minnesota in this matchup, which is one of the top rebounding teams in the league with an average of 11.9 offensive boards per game.
Over on the other bench, the Raptors have a record of 34-39-1 ATS and 44-30 SU. Against the Western Conference, Toronto is 15-14 SU and 12-16-1 ATS. Offensively, they average 104.1 points per game, which is good for fourth in the league. The Raptors convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking second in the league at .789.
With the Raptors’ last win against Minnesota, their SU record is now 9-1 over the Timberwolves in the last 10 meetings. The Raptors also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3. Minnesota and Toronto both held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time over the last 10 games.
Predictions: SU Winner – TOR, ATS Winner – TOR
Notes
Toronto is one of the top scoring teams, averaging 104.1 points per game (ranked fourth). Minnesota, on the other hand, gives up 106.0 points per game (ranked 30th).
Toronto is one of the top scoring teams on the road, averaging 105.7 points per game (ranked third). Minnesota, on the other hand, allows 103.3 points per home game (ranked 30th).
In its last game, Toronto won by a margin of three points. Minnesota is 6-6 in games decided by three points or less. Toronto has a 4-3 record in close games.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Toronto Raptors are a superb 26-5. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Minnesota Timberwolves have an underachieving record of 6-37.
When giving up 100 points or more, the Toronto Raptors have an 18-25 record. When reaching the century mark, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a losing record of 10-21.
Ranked fourth, the Raptors have an offensive rating of 107.7. The Timberwolves, on the other hand, rank 30th with a defensive rating of 108.3.
Minnesota has an average field goal percentage of 43.7%. Toronto is an even 25-25 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rank higher for their field goal percentage (24th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (28th). The Toronto Raptors rank higher for their effective field goal percentage (ninth) than they do for their field goal percentage (13th).
The Minnesota Timberwolves rank 21st with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.51. The Toronto Raptors have a higher A/TO (1.71), ranking eighth.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league with just 41.4 per game. The Toronto Raptors average 41.5 rebounds (ranked 25th).
The Toronto Raptors rank 15th in offensive rebounding, while the Minnesota Timberwolves rank 30th in defensive rebounding.
Minnesota is among the best in forcing turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.1% (ranked ninth). Toronto has a 10-13 record SU when its TOV% reaches 15.1% or greater.
