At 8:00 ET, the Minnesota Timberwolves (-1327) will host the Portland Trail Blazers (+778) at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves (-14) are favored in this Western Northwest Division matchup. The over/under line for the game is 211.5.

Minnesota (42-19) is currently on a two-game losing streak and sits second in the Western Conference. Portland (17-42) has won two straight games and is 14th in the West.

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Portland Trail Blazers +14

This game will be played at Target Center at 8:00 ET on Monday, March 4th.

WHY BET THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 114-105 in favor of the Timberwolves.
  • Our projections have Anthony Edwards finishing with Anthony Edwards points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
  • From the field, we have the Timberwolves finishing with a field goal percentage of 48.9% and knocking down 13 threes.

Are the Trail Blazers Ready for a Win at Minneapolis?

The Trail Blazers have won two straight games and are 17-42 overall this season, which is 14th in the Western Conference. In non-conference games, they are 9-10 and 8-32 against other Western Conference teams.

As the underdog, Portland has gone 16-37 this season and has covered the spread in their last two games. On the road, they are 16-14 ATS and have an average scoring differential of -10.0 points per game.

In their most recent game, the Blazers beat the Grizzlies by a score of 107-100. The O/U line for that game was 210 points, and Portland was a 2.5-point underdog.

This season, the average O/U line in Portland’s games is 225.1 points, which is higher than today’s line of 211.5. They have a record of 26-32-1 on the O/U, with 57 of their games having higher O/U lines than today’s.

Overall, the Trail Blazers are 27-32 ATS this season, and they have covered the spread in four straight road games. Currently, they are 18th in the Western Conference.

When it comes to scoring, the Blazers have struggled this season, ranking 29th in the league with 107.5 points per game. On the road, they are averaging 106.5 points per game.

So far this season, the Blazers have outscored the NBA scoring average in just 25.4% of their games. In terms of field goal percentage, they are shooting 43% from the field, which is 29th in the league.

Portland has been looking to push the pace this season, as they are 20th in the league with 97.9 possessions per game. When it comes to three-point shooting, the Blazers are 27th in the league at 34%.

On the defensive side, Trail Blazers is currently hovering around the NBA’s average for points allowed, conceding an average of 115.6 points per game. Most recently, the Trail Blazers’ defense put together a solid performance, giving up just 100 points to the Grizzlies.

Can Minnesota Deliver Being Favored at Home?

Minnesota is heavily favored today (-14) and has gone 36-14 as the favorite this season. In their last two games as the favorite, they have failed to cover the spread. Overall, they are 23-26 vs. the spread as the favorite and 30-30 ATS for the season.

The Timberwolves are 42-19 this season, which is good for 2nd place in the Western Conference. In non-conference games, they are 13-9 compared to 29-10 against Western Conference opponents.

Minnesota’s O/U record for the season is 30-31, and their games have averaged 219.6 points per game. Today’s O/U line of 211.5 is lower than 60 of their previous games.

In their last game, the Timberwolves lost to the Clippers by a score of 89-88. Minnesota was favored by 2.5 points in that game. The combined scoring was well below the O/U line of 219.5.

So far this season, the Timberwolves are 20th in scoring, averaging 113.2 points per game. At home, they are 26th in the NBA in scoring at 111.5 points per game.

Minnesota has been an efficient shooting team this season, ranking 9th in field goal percentage at 48%. However, they are just 25th in pace.

In terms of three-point shooting, the Timberwolves are 2nd in the league in three-point shooting percentage at 38%. Overall, they are 15th in three-pointers made per game.

At present, the Timberwolves’ defense is ranked 1st, allowing 106.3 points per game. The Minnesota defense has allowed opponents to shoot 35.0% from beyond the arc this season. Opposing teams are also hitting 44.5% of their field goal attempts vs. Minnesota.