Indiana Pacers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Preview
Where: Target Center – Minneapolis, MN
When: Thursday, January 26, 2017 – 8:00 PM ET
Line: Indiana Pacers at Minnesota Timberwolves – view all NBA lines
NBA News & Predictions
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- 2017 NBA Draft Sleepers
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Betting on the Indiana Pacers (22-22)
It’s been a weird couple of weeks for the Pacers. Their dead-even W-L card is very much displayed during the stretch. After losing four straight, they were able to built a five-game winning streak, and then topped all of that off by dropping four of their next six contests. Inconsistency, thy name is Indiana Pacers.
The Pacers are basically having one of the most average seasons a team could ever have, and based on how they did last year with lesser players and chemistry, where they took a superior Toronto Raptors team to seven games – they are underachieving big time this season.
Despite being headlined by certified all-star and proven scorer Paul George (22.2 PPG), rising big man Myles Turner (15.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.3 BPG), and former all-star guard Jeff Teague (15.5 PPG, 8 APG), they could only rank 15th in scoring (105.4 PPG) and 18th on offensive efficiency. In addition, the team is also 23rd in points allowed (106.8 PPG) and 15th in defensive efficiency – all of that and a barely-.500 record just screams “average.”
Indy is 6-14 SU and ATS in their last 20 games on the road. They have dropped two straight road games and they have three three-game road losing streaks in that 20-game stretch.
Betting on the Minnesota Timberwolves (17-28)
Not that we want to jinx the Timberwolves, but they are currently on their best stretch of the season, going 6-2 in their last eight games (SU and ATS). In the most recent win, they got by the Phoenix Suns by the skin of their teeth, 112-111, thanks to an Andrew Wiggins jumper as time expired. He finished with a game-high 31 points.
The Wolves aren’t exactly dominating in the past eight games, but they are out-producing opponents on all key stats – points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and field goal percentage. For a team that’s 11 games under .500, it’s definitely a good momentum-builder moving forward.
The athleticism and improved shooting of Wiggins (22 PPG) and LaVine (19.2 PPG) will undoubtedly cause more headaches for defenders. LaVine is underwhelming in the past two weeks, but expect him to be back on scoring 20-plus ASAP.
Karl-Anthony Towns, meanwhile, is proving that he’s the NBA’s next great big man. In his last eight, he’s putting up 27.3 points, 13.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game, along with a 63.6-percent shooting percentage.
Writer’s Prediction
The Wolves win, 115-109.
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