The Minnesota Timberwolves are beginning to establish a solid reputation. They’re right on track for a better finish this season, having already won half the games they did last year. The T-Wolves will strive to continue their respectable start against the Los Angeles Clippers tonight at Staples Center. Will they be able to do so?
Read on below for a comprehensivebreakdown of this Western Conference clash, and while you’re at it, check out our preview of the Rockets vs. Knicks.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Clippers Betting Preview
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
When: Sunday, November 29, 2015, 03:30 PM ET
Line: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Clippers – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: FSN
Betting on the Minnesota Timberwolves (8-8)
Beware of the Minnesota Timberwolves. They’ve been making some noise lately, winning four of their past six games are currently on a three-game winning streak. The latest one came at Sacramento Friday night, during which Andrew Wiggins had a game-high of 22 points along with six boards and an assist across his name.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Now, the T-Wolves will hope to extend their unbeaten streak to four games for the first time in three years when they lock horns with the Chris Paul-led Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. They are 6-4 SU and 9-1 ATS on the road this year.
Most of the defensive attention is bound to be on Wiggins, their top-scorer (21.8 PPG), as always. If that’s indeed the case, his other teammates ought to take advantage of this and carry some of the offensive load off him and give the Clippers another player to worry about. Look to the pair of Karl-Anthony Towns and Zach Lavine to do just that.
Towns, the No.1 overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, has lived up to his potential thus far, posting 14.2 PPG and a team-high of 9.4 RPG. He’s also been a big factor on the defensive end with 2.3 BPG. Lavine, meanwhile, has been doing damage as a starter and as an off-the-bench guy with averages of 14.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG and 3.6 APG through 16 games.
But if there’s one thing that could doom the T-Wolves’ chances of winning, it’ll be their inability to take care of the rock. They are averaging 15.2 turnovers per contest, which is good for 13th-most in the league this season.
Also, PG Ricky Rubio (10.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 8.5 APG) is still deemed questionable to play due to a persistent ankle injury that has already caused him to miss five games.Without him, the team will rely on Lavine as the starting floor point guard once again.
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Betting on the Los Angeles Clippers (8-8)
Surprisingly, the Los Angeles Clippers are still searching for some consistency this season. They’re just 8-8 and have lost four of their last six outings. But they’ll be entering this evening’s matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves with some momentum from Friday’s 21-point win over the Pelicans.
Chris Paul had his imprints all over that game. The eight-time All-Star filled up the stat sheet with 17 points, five rebounds and eight assists. Then Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick contributed 20 points each to help their team notch its fifth home victory. The Clippers are 6-4 SU and 3-7 ATS at Staples Center on the year and have won the previous 12 contests with Minnesota.
In order for the Clippers to continue imposing their dominance, Paul will need to provide another all-around performance and lead their offense which ranks seventh-best in the league with 103.2 PPG. But needless to say, his efforts alone won’t be enough to pick up the win. That said, the frontcourt duo of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan will have to make their presences felt as well.
Griffin owns a team-high of 25.1 PPG and has tallied a total of 60 points and 18 rebound in his past two outings. Jordan, on the other hand, has been unstoppable against the T-Wolves, averaging double-double numbers of 13.5 PPG and 18.0 RPG in the last four meetings.
It’s also worth noting that Jamal Crawford could be the difference-maker in this game. Crawford has been quiet in his last two outings with only 12 points on 3-of-17 shooting but can explode at any given moment. He’s garnering 12.9 PPG off the bench this season and 15.0 PPG through 31 career games in the same matchup.
Writer’s Prediction
Los Angeles breaks away in the fourth quarter for the 105-96 win. Create a betting account now and put your NBA predictions to the test!
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