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On Saturday, the Minnesota Timberwolves (2-2) will head to San Antonio to face Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs (2-3).
The game tips off at 8 p.m. ET. and will be the second night of a home-and-road back-to-back for the Timberwolves, while San Antonio will have a day of rest between games.
Can the Spurs build on a solid double-digit road win against Utah on Thursday night with another victory?
Or, will the Wolves find a way to capitalize on the dreaded home-to-road back-to-back by stealing a game away from Target Center?
Keep reading our Minnesota Timberwolves vs San Antonio Spurs predictions and NBA picks below to find out.
Timberwolves vs. Spurs odds
Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Timberwolves | -3.5 (-110) | (-164) | Over 213.5 (-110) |
Spurs | +3.5 (-110) | (+136) | Under 231,5 (-110) |
Timberwolves vs. Spurs prediction
(8:00 p.m. ET, FDSSW)
Wembanyama did it again: he posted another 5-by-5 game.
The “Alien” finished with a ridiculous 25-point, nine-rebound, seven-assist, five-block, five-steal outing in the Spurs’ win over Utah.
Despite a relatively slow start to the season, Wemby is back on track.
Chris Paul also pieced together another vintage performance, pouring in 19 points, dishing out 10 assists, and snagging seven rebounds in 32 minutes.
While five games is a minimal sample size, the Spurs rank fifth among NBA squads in defensive rating and sixth in total rebounding percentage while holding opponents to the third-lowest field goal percentage.
Wembanyama has been an interior force defensively, and if the Spurs can clean up their perimeter defense, they could be one of the top teams on that end of the floor.
Unfortunately, the offensive end of the floor has still been a struggle for the Spurs.
They boast the league’s second-lowest offensive rating while ranking 26th in turnover percentage and 25th in effective field goal percentage.
Conversely, Minnesota has looked great on the offensive end of the floor but has been underwhelming on defense compared to last season, when it led the league in defensive rating.
Of course, it’s early in the season, so it’s nowhere near time to be concerned.
However, it does at least raise questions about the long-term fit with Julius Randle as a starting power forward next to Rudy Gobert.
Like the Spurs (23rd in pace), the Timberwolves (24th in pace) also play grind-it-out half-court basketball, but that can cause spacing issues with Randle and Gobert since they both do most of their work in and around the painted area.
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Wemby can pull Gobert from the paint in this matchup, forcing him to move his feet on the perimeter.
That will be a significant disadvantage for the T’Wolves, as it allows the San Antonio supporting cast, such as Harrison Barnes, Julian Champagnie, and Jeremy Sochan, to slash into the paint and get shots around the rim without the threat of Gobert’s length and interior prowess.
San Antonio doesn’t take many shots off drives but ranks sixth in assist percentage off drives, as its focus is to get cleaner, inside-out 3-point looks.
Timberwolves vs. Spurs Pick
The Spurs should keep this one close at home due to their rest advantage, defensive effort, and the beneficial Wemby vs. Gobert matchup.
Pick: San Antonio Spurs +3.5 (-110, Fanatics)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Andrew Norton handicaps the NBA, WNBA, NFL, college basketball and football, UFC and golf. During the 2022-23 NBA season, he achieved a standout 14.1% ROI, cashing 60% of his NBA spread picks and leading Tallysight in its SportsIQ metric.
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