The Indiana Pacers host the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight and will look to put this recent rough stretch behind them. The Pacers have dropped three straight games and will be without their star Victor Oladipo, who is on the shelf with a knee injury. The T’Wolves, on the other hand, fell flat to Milwaukee on Thursday and will be desperate for a win to keep pace in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. Minnesota opened as 3.5-point favorites in this matchup.
- Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last five games.
- The total has gone OVER in four of Minnesota’s last five road games.
- Minnesota is 4-1 ATS in its last five games on the road.
Despite losing five of their last eight games, the Pacers are still treading water in the Eastern Conference playoff picture and would be a 7-seed if the postseason started today. And they’ve played well versus the Timberwolves as the Pacers are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games in this matchup and have claimed four of the last five.
The absence of Oladipo can’t be overlooked though as the Hoosiers alum is having a breakout year, averaging 24.9 points per game and shooting 48% from the floor. It means center combo of Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis will need to pick up the slack while their potential all-star is on the mend.
Meanwhile, Minnesota is looking to start another win-streak going into 2018. Before their loss to Milwaukee, the Timberwolves were on five-game winning streak and are 4-1 SU in their last five games on the road. The acquisition of Jimmy Butler in the offseason has started to pay dividends and has carried ‘Sota to fourth in the West standings. While it may be hard to trust them to eat points on the road (10-8 ATS), bettors should consider their moneyline instead and take advantage of a T’Wolves squad coming off two days rest.
The total opened at 212 and the OVER looks appealing in this matchup. Both of these teams rank in the top 10 in scoring and the OVER has hit in five of Minnesota’s last six games. When you factor in that the OVER has hit in five of the last seven games in this matchup, placing a wager on the OVER could be an easy way to end your 2017 with a profit.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Indiana Pacers opened as 3.5-point underdogs at online sportsbook Sportsbook, while the NBA total line was sitting around 212 at Sportsbook for those who prefer OVER/UNDER betting on the total amount of points scored.
Handicapping models based on recent betting stats and prediction formulas pick a 112-104 win for the Timberwolves. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NBA matchups here.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Indiana Pacers Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Indiana Pacers sport a record of 19-17 and 20-16 ATS heading into this matchup, while the Minnesota Timberwolves sit at 22-14 and 15-19-2 ATS on the NBA season. The OVER/UNDER totals betting records are 16-19-1 for the Indiana Pacers and 20-15-1 for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Indiana vs Minnesota injuries news.
It's a betting matchup between the No. 13-rated Indiana Pacers and the No. 7-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves, according to the NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark.
Statistical Matchup
In rebounding, the battle of the boards features Indiana's No. 20-rated NBA squad against Minnesota's No. 22-rated roster. When it comes to long-range shooting, Indiana rates No. 19 in the league with 9.75 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 29 with 8.28 per outing.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Minnesota got 22 points from Karl-Anthony Towns but lost anyway 102-96 against the Bucks on Thursday at Bradley Center.
Indiana got 30 points from Darren Collison en route to a 119-107 loss against Chicago on Friday at United Center.
- Minnesota is 7-13-1 ATS in its last 21 games
- Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games
- Minnesota is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
- Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
- Indiana is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana's last 9 games
- Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Next Betting Matchups
Minnesota home to Los Angeles, Monday, January 1st
Indiana at Milwaukee, Wednesday, January 3rd
