After making a win-now move in the offseason, the Minnesota Timberwolves are in the middle of the pack seven games in.
They have an important meeting when they visit the Phoenix Suns (6-1) at 10 p.m. ET Tuesday at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
Suns’ matchups have been favorable so far, but the defensive upside of the Wolves (4-3) is something that could give Phoenix trouble.
It’s the first time these two teams have met, and a favorable NBA schedule for the Suns has them playing their fifth home game out of the first seven.
Timberwolves vs. Suns Odds Breakdown
Timberwolves vs Suns odds show this game should be closer than the series has been in recent history.
Four-game Winning Streak
During the four-game winning streak over the Timberwolves, three of those Suns wins have been by double digits. That’s not expected to be the case in this meeting.
Timberwolves vs Suns odds are Suns -4 with an over/under of 227 points. The moneyline is fairly even with the Timberwolves +150 and the Suns -180.
Making Timberwolves picks seems like a viable option should one choose to like how they match up.
Matchup Information
- Date and Time: November 1, 2022, 10:00 p.m.
- Location: Phoenix, AZ
- Venue: Footprint Center
- How to Watch: TNT
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Phoenix Suns Betting Preview
The Wolves made an offseason splash to trade for Rudy Gobert, a defensive stronghold in the paint and a strong screener on offense.
NBA player stats show that Gobert is averaging 14.1 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 32 minutes per game so far this season, so there is room for growth but still a solid acquisition.
A Softer NBA Schedule
Minnesota has not taken advantage of a softer NBA schedule yet. The Timberwolves are 3-4 against the spread and have gone 1-2 against the San Antonio Spurs, and their other loss is to the Utah Jazz; both teams are expected to be competing for lottery placements.
At 4-3, being less than 6-1 is a disappointing start, given the only team with high expectations they’ve played is the Los Angeles Lakers, and they’re arguably the worst team.
The Timberwolves Are a League-average Team
So far, the Timberwolves NBA team stats are league-average on both ends of the court. They rank 15th on offense, scoring 115.1 points per game.
They’ve struggled to shoot from the perimeter, making 31.8% of 3-point attempts, which ranks fifth worst.
They convert 46.7% of field goal attempts overall, which ranks 17th. They are, however, the third-best rebounding team at 49 per game.
Timberwolves’ Defense
Defensively they are also 15th, allowing 113.1 points per game. Their defensive efficiency is solid, holding teams to 43% from the field, which is the third-best mark.
However, opponents rebound 50.1 times per game, the second-worst margin. This can be attributed to a higher pace.
The Timberwolves like to get out and run, create opportunities in transition and capitalize on those. Still, oddsmakers know they play with high pace, and Minnesota is 2-5 on overs.
However, their offensive efficiency numbers have hurt them early on, and once they get those figured out, they show great potential to finish in the top six and avoid the play-in tournament.
NBA Injury Report
The NBA injury report shows only Jordan McLaughlin is questionable with a heel injury. Tuesday’s game figures to be a good measuring stick for the Wolves, who are still finding their balance early on.
It’s no surprise Timberwolves vs Suns odds show Phoenix as the favorites. The Suns have been favored in every game this season and are 4-2 against the spread, not covering the season opener, a 107-105 win over the Mavericks in which they were favored by four points.
Suns at the NBA Team Stats
NBA team stats have the Suns as one of the best teams in basketball. They rank second offensively, scoring 118.7 points per game.
They are the most efficient team converting 49.3% of field goal attempts, and are sixth in free throw percentage at 81.3%.
Suns’ Defense
Defensively, the Suns are third at holding teams to 106.3 points per game. However, their efficiency is slightly below, ranking seventh in field goal percentage at 44.5% and 13th in 3-point percentage at 34.2%.
The rebounding numbers aren’t great, ranking 20th while grabbing 43.5 per contest but ninth defensively in allowing 42.2 per game.
The defensive numbers show that the Suns are playing at a slower pace because of their low points allowed per game and rebounding totals but high rankings and margins compared to them offensively.
NBA Injury Report
The NBA injury report shows a few players who will be out, including star center Deandre Ayton who will miss some time due to an ankle injury, and Jae Crowder, who is out indefinitely due to personal reasons. Forward Ish Wainwright is questionable Tuesday with a back injury.
Stars Devin Booker and Chris Paul have been on opposite ends of the performance spectrum.
Booker is averaging 29.3 points and 5.5 assists per game while converting 52.9% of field goal attempts, NBA player stats show, while Paul is hitting 34.6% of field goal attempts and averaging 9.3 points, 10.8 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game.
It’ll be interesting to see how that balances out against Minnesota.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Phoenix Suns Betting Preview
Minnesota’s addition of Gobert and the absence of Ayton for Phoenix create a mismatch inside.
Perimeter Advantage
Throw in the versatile Karl-Anthony Towns, who plays the four for Minnesota, and the Timberwolves will have a significant advantage inside while the Suns have the perimeter advantage, though that gap may be narrow.
The Timberwolves drafted a star in Anthony Edwards a few seasons ago, who is continuing to improve on the defensive end alongside Jaden McDaniels.
The savvy point guard, D’Angelo Russell, is still very good and can play off the ball when Edwards or Towns take over the shot creation.
Suns’ Last Eight Meetings
Past Timberwolves vs Suns odds show that Phoenix has fared well in these meetings. The Suns are 6-2 in the last eight meetings against the spread and 9-4 in the last 13 meetings in Phoenix.
However, this figures to be the best Timberwolves team since they made the playoffs with Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, and Derrick Rose in 2017-18.
Sure, they made the playoffs last season, but this roster is even better than that, and those are their only two playoff appearances since 2004.
Who to Bet On?
We’ll take the Timberwolves to win (+150) and cover +4. We’ll also take the under, which goes against public betting, which sees 75% of bets on the Suns against the spread and 73% on the over.
NBA Pick: Timberwolves +3.5 (-110)
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