Minnesota continues to push for a spot in the Western Conference playoffs, but they will face a stern test this Wednesday night with a stop at Quicken Loans Arena to square off against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The opening tip for this inter-conference clash is set for 8 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
Minnesota at Cleveland Game Overview
The Timberwolves have moved to within three games of the final playoff spot in the West with a straight-up 5-1 run in their last six games. They have still had their issues covering against the spread at 2-4 during this same span and the total has gone OVER in three of their last four games. Minnesota (19-29 SU, 21-27 ATS) heads into this game with a SU 7-15 (8-14 ATS) record on the road this year.
The dynamic duo of Karl Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins deserve a good deal of the credit for their team’s recent success on the court. In Saturday’s 129-109 home victory against Brooklyn, Towns led all scorers with 37 points while pulling down 13 rebounds. Wiggins added 23 points to the winning cause against the Nets and he was also instrumental in Monday’s 111-105 win at home against Orlando with a game-high 27 points.
Cleveland (32-15 SU) continues to spin its wheels in search of a solution to its sketchy play over the past few weeks. Monday’s 104-97 loss to Dallas as a 4.5-point road favorite has to raise some serious flags as part of a SU 4-7 slide in its last 11 games while going 3-8 ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in the Cavaliers last two games after going OVER in six of their previous seven outings. They are a costly 19-26-2 ATS this season overall with an even 12-12-2 record ATS at home.
Kevin Love sat out Monday’s game with back spasms and he has been listed as “out” for Wednesday’s contest as well. In his absence, LeBron James (23 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists) and Kyrie Irving (18 points) tried to fill the void against the Mavericks in a losing cause. James continues to lead the team in scoring with 25.6 points as part of Cleveland’s 109.6-point scoring average that is ranked fourth in the NBA. The main issue during this current slide has been a defensive effort that has allowed an average of 111.5 points over the last six games.
Minnesota at Cleveland Game Betting Trends
- The Timberwolves are 0-5 ATS in their last six games following a SU win and they are 1-4 ATS in their last five games against the Eastern Conference. The total has gone OVER in six of their last eight games against the Central Division.
- The Cavaliers are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games playing on one day’s rest and they are 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine games following a SU loss. The total has gone OVER in four of their last five home games.
- Minnesota has covered ATS in four of its last five road games against Cleveland and the total has gone OVER in four of the last five meetings overall.
