Two teams looking to get back on track collide this Thursday night, as Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat fly to Minneapolis to take on Ricky Rubio and the rest of the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center tonight. Which team will be able to bounce back first? Will the Wolves capitalize on their home court advantage? Or will the Heat silence them and their crowd with a huge road win?
Read on below for a comprehensive breakdown of this intriguing matchup and while you’re at it, check out our other previews as well: Hornets at Mavs and Grizzlies at Blazers.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Miami Heat vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Preview
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
When: Thursday, November 5, 2015, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Miami Heat vs. Minnesota Timberwolves – view all NBA lines
Betting on the Miami Heat
Following a tough loss at home against the Hawks Tuesday night, the Miami Heat embark on a brief two-game road trip that will begin against the Minnesota Timberwolves later this evening.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside were the bright spots in their game with the Hawks. Wade, who was battling a migraine at the time, still proved to be effective as he contributed 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Whiteside, meanwhile, made his presence felt in both sides of the court with a team-high of 23 points and 14 rebounds while also issuing a game-high of four blocks. The two will definitely attempt to carry this momentum against the T-Wolves later.
Other than Wade and Whiteside, the Heat can also put their trust on Chris Bosh for some offense as well. The 10-time All-Star only had nine points on 4-for-14 shooting against Atlanta but he made up for it with 14 rebounds. Bosh also has had a fair share of success opposite Minnesota, averaging 17.5 points and 8.6 rebounds across 21 career games.
As for the defense, the onus will on the Heats’ perimeter defenders to find a way in controlling the likes of Ricky Rubio and Kevin Martin from getting to their favorite spots and positions. The two guards of Minnesota have scored in double-figures in all of their games this season.
Miami is 1-4 SU and ATS in its previous five road games.
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Betting on the Minnesota Timberwolves
After kicking off their 2015-16 campaign with two-straight wins, the celebration came to an end for the Minnesota Timberwolves as they were handed their first defeat of the season on Monday night versus the visiting Blazers. They couldn’t hold off Damian Lillard, who erupted for a game-high 34 points and seven assists.
This loss was really hard to digest for the T-Wolves, who had a 13-point advantage at one point in the game. They made things very interesting down to the final minutes of the fourth period but just couldn’t deliver the necessary baskets and stops to give them the victory.
Ricky Rubio and Kevin Martin, though, provided some solid numbers worth mentioning. Rubio finished the game with 12 points, nine rebounds and nine assists under his belt while Marin had a team-best of 24 points off the bench. The two will be hoping later that their efforts won’t be wasted again versus the Miami Heat.
In order for that to happen, they need Andrew Wiggins to start producing some big numbers as well. Wiggins, the 2014 Rookie of the Year, is averaging decent numbers of 14.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in the first three games but is shooting the ball at horrid rate of 30.0 percent.
Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns could also be a key factor against Miami. He’s doing well thus far in his rookie campaign by averaging 17.7 points and 10.3 rebounds across three games and has been an imposing figure in the paint with eight blocks already this season.
Minnesota is 0-5 SU and 1-4 ATS in its last five games at Target Center.
Writer’s Prediction
Minnesota wins a thriller, 92-89.
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