The New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves get their first look at their former players during the regular season on Thursday night, and oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook project a tight result with a narrow two-point spread in favor of the home team.
Here's a look at a spread, moneyline, total, and player prop expert pick for this East vs. West matchup at the Target Center on Thursday, December 19, 2024.
New York Knicks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Odds
Preview: New York Knicks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m. ET
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Knicks | +2 (-108) | +118 | O 214.5 (-110) |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | -2 (-112) | -138 | U 214.5 (-110) |
Odds as of December 18, 2024 at FanDuel
New York Knicks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Expert Picks
New York Knicks ATS +2 (-108), ML (+118)
Excluding the preseason, which had a heated confrontation between Donte DiVincenzo and his former assistant coach Rick Brunson after the final buzzer, this is the first opportunity Karl-Anthony Towns, Julius Randle, and of course DiVincenzo get to compete against their former teammates with actual stakes involved. That matters in the world of sports betting, because what player wouldn't want to make an impact against the team which sent them packing, welcomed or not?
Minnesota enters this meeting with six victories in its last seven tries with five successful covers during that stretch after dropping four in a row SU. The Knicks, meanwhile, haven't strung together consecutive wins or losses in their last four attempts, yet continue to hold down the third seed in the East with a 16-10 record SU.
New York is also 6-2 SU over its last eight tries away from Madison Square Garden, although just 4-4 against the spread, with three of those spreads being by at least 7.5 points painting it as the favorite. The Timberwolves have won three in a row at home SU, but two of those three wins came in double-digit fashion against a struggling Los Angeles Lakers squad.
Let's give the Knicks the edge here at plus money with greater value, and of all the players moved in that aforementioned blockbuster swap, Towns suiting up in Minnesota in front of his former fans provides added incentive for a monster box score which should put New York over the top.
UNDER 214.5 Total Points (-110)
A total hasn't reached an OVER four-straight times in Timberwolves home games, and the Knicks haven't gone OVER in three-straight road games either.
Until we see some consistency from either team in this market, it's best to lean with the trends.
New York Knicks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Player Prop
Julius Randle UNDER 19.5 Points (-108)
While this contradicts the aforementioned point of players taking it upon themselves to light up their former employer, taking the UNDER on Randle's scoring prop is well within reason.
Randle has hit the UNDER in five of his last seven outings for Minnesota, averaging 16.7 points during that span while shooting just 23.7 percent from 3-point range.
New York Knicks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Trends
- Karl-Anthony Towns has exceeded 1.5 3-pointers in eight of his last 10 games on the road (2.2 3-pointers/game average).
- Jalen Brunson has exceeded 2.5 rebounds in five-straight games on the road (3.8 rebounds/game average).
- Mikal Bridges has failed to exceed 2.5 3-pointers in eight of his last 10 games on the road (1.8 3-pointers/game average).
*all betting trends courtesy of Outlier
