How tight is the Western Conference playoff race? The Minnesota Timberwolves currently occupy the third spot in the conference but are only 3 1/2 games ahead of the ninth-place Denver Nuggets. The Jimmy Butler-less T-Wolves will aim to separate themselves from the pack with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers in Oregon on Thursday. Minny has been a brutal bet against Portland lately, evidenced by the Timberwolves going 1-6 ATS in their last seven against the Blazers.
Sportsbook opened the Trail Blazers as 4.5-point home favorites with a total of 218.
- The Timberwolves are 5-1 SU in their last six games vs divisional opponents.
- The Trail Blazers are 7-2 SU in their last nine games as a favorite of 4.5 or less.
- The Timberwolves are 2-22 SU in their last 24 games on the road against the Trail Blazers.
Minnesota lost Butler to a knee injury over the weekend but rebounded nicely with a 118-100 triumph over Sacramento on Monday. Nemanja Bjelica, who started in Butler’s place at small forward, contributed 12 points, eight rebounds and four steals in the win. Andrew Wiggins is starting to look like his normal self again after enduring a brief slump, as the Canadian has scored over 20 points in each of the last three tilts.
Portland has a top-four spot in the West in its sights, and the contributions from star point guard Damian Lillard cannot be overlooked. Lillard scored 26 points on 11-of-19 shooting and added 12 assists in Tuesday’s win over the Kings to average 31.4 points in 10 games during the month of February. The 27-year-old’s 223 points over the last six games are a franchise record for any player in a six-game span.
OVER bettors will be interested in this one. The Trail Blazers have gone OVER in six of their last seven at Moda Center, and the Timberwolves have cashed OVER wagers in eight of their past nine.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Those looking to pick the visitors as their prediction to cover in this one found the Minnesota Timberwolves listed as 5-point underdogs earlier at Sportsbook. Meanwhile, the OVER/UNDER total betting line for this game was set at 218.5 at Sportsbook but may have moved since the betting odds opened.
Prediction-scoring formulas run on this game pick a potential 110-106 result in favor of the Trail Blazers. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NBA matchups here.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Portland Trail Blazers Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Portland Trail Blazers bring a 35-26 record (31-26-4 ATS) to the battle against the 38-26 Minnesota Timberwolves, who are 30-32-2 ATS. Fans OVER/UNDER betting have seen Portland go 26-35 so far and Minnesota go 35-28-1. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Portland vs Minnesota injuries news.
The Trail Blazers sit at No. 8 in the current NBA Power Rankings here at OddsShark, while the Timberwolves are at No. 20 on that betting chart.
Statistical Matchup
When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves rank No. 24 in the league with 41.86 per game. That compares with Portland's No. 7 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where Portland is the NBA's No. 18-ranked team at 10.18 treys per game, while Minnesota rates No. 29 with 7.97 per contest.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Minnesota got 26 points and 17 rebounds from Karl-Anthony Towns en route to a 118-100 victory over Sacramento on Monday at Golden 1 Center.
Portland got 26 points and 12 assists from Damian Lillard en route to a 116-99 victory over Sacramento on Tuesday at Moda Center.
- Minnesota is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
- Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone OVER in 8 of Minnesota's last 9 games
- Minnesota is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
- Portland is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
- Portland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games
- Portland is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Next Betting Matchups
Minnesota at Utah, Friday, March 2
Portland home to Oklahoma City, Saturday, March 3
