The Minnesota Timberwolves (5-8) will try to bring their six-game home losing streak to a halt when they take on the Philadelphia 76ers (0-14), who are on a seven-game road losing streak. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Monday, Nov. 23 and can be seen on TCN and FNo.
The Timberwolves are hoping for a better outcome after their 96-86 loss to the Pistons on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns had a good outing, putting up 18 points, seven rebounds, and three steals for Minnesota. The 76ers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 96-91 loss against the Heat on Saturday. Robert Covington played well for Philadelphia, recording 21 points, six rebounds, and two steals.
Andrew Wiggins has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Timberwolves. During that stretch, he has averaged 24.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks.
This one isn’t expected to be close when the Timberwolves, a substantial eight-point favorite, take on the 76ers. The Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 198 points for this matchup. The Timberwolves have gone 5-8 Straight Up (SU) and 7-6 Against The Spread (ATS). They have been successful ATS versus Eastern Conference opponents with a record of 5-3. It hasn’t translated into wins, however, as they have a record of 3-5 in those games. The Timberwolves are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throws made, making an impressive 22.0 per game. Teams usually don’t get many offensive rebounds against the Timberwolves, who are one of the top defensive rebounding teams in the league with an average of 35.5 defensive rebounds per game.
Over on the other bench, the 76ers have a record of 6-8 ATS and 0-14 SU. Blocking shots is an area where Philadelphia has excelled. The 76ers average 6.5 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the league.
These two will be squaring off for the first time this season. In their previous head-to-head meeting, Philadelphia came out on top, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over the last 10 meetings. With a 6-4 record, the 76ers have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Min, ATS Winner – Min, O/U – Under
Notes
Minnesota is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota’s last 6 games.
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 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota’s last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia.
Minnesota is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Philadelphia.
Minnesota is 6-14 ATS in its last 20 games when playing at home against Philadelphia.
Minnesota scores an average of 101.6 points per game (ranked 12th). Philadelphia ranks 20th in points allowed per game with 104.2.
On average, Minnesota puts up 98.0 points per home game (ranked 23rd), while Philadelphia gives up 102.0 points per away game (ranked 17th).
When allowing fewer than 100 points, Minnesota has a 3-2 record this season. Philadelphia is winless (0-11) when scoring fewer than 100 points.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have an abysmal record of 2-6 when they allow at least 100 points, while the Philadelphia 76ers are winless (0-3) when they put up triple digits.
The 76ers have a defensive rating of 105.3 (ranked 24th). The Timberwolves rank 20th for their offensive rating of 100.8.
On average, Minnesota has 100.8 possessions per game and scores 1.008 points on each possession. Philadelphia has both fewer possessions (98.6) and scores fewer points during those possessions (.913).
Philadelphia has an average effective field goal percentage of 46.0%. Minnesota is an underachieving 2-7 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Minnesota makes an average of 20.5 assists per game (ranked 21st), while Philadelphia makes 18.9 assists per game (ranked 26th).
The Minnesota Timberwolves average 4.7 blocks per game for a rank of 19th. The Philadelphia 76ers rank higher (fourth), earning 6.5 blocks each contest.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rank 19th in offensive rebounding, while the Philadelphia 76ers rank 20th in defensive rebounding.
The Philadelphia 76ers average 6.9 steals per game. When giving up 6 or more steals, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a losing record (3-7) this season.
