Minnesota Timberwolves vs New Orleans Pelicans Betting Pick & Prediction 12/11/23

The Timberwolves and Pelicans are set to face off at 8:00 ET on BSNO. The Pelicans will host the game at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA. The odds for this Western conference game currently have the Pelicans as the betting favorite with the over/under line sitting at 222.5 points.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES VS NEW ORLEANS PELICANS BETTING PICK

The Pick: New Orleans Pelicans -3

This game will be played at Smoothie King Center at 8:00 ET on Monday, December 11th.

WHY BET THE NEW ORLEANS PELICANS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 117-109 in favor of the Pelicans.
• Our projections have Brandon Ingram finishing with Brandon Ingram points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
• From the field, we have the Pelicans finishing with a field goal percentage of 51.8% and knocking down 13 threes.

Can the Timberwolves Pull Out the Win as Road Underdogs?

With a record of 17-4, the Timberwolves are above .500 and are in 1st place in the Western Conference. In their division, the Timberwolves are also in 1st place.

Minnesota comes in with an overall ATS record of 11-9 so far this season. This season, Minnesota has a 8-8 record against the spread when they are favored, and they are 3-1 when playing as underdogs.

Minnesota’s offense had a good outing, putting up 127 points against the Grizzlies. They achieved a 50% field goal percentage and went 24/26 from the free-throw line. The team’s top scorer is Anthony Edwards, who enters today’s matchup with an average of 24.4, while Karl-Anthony Towns also carries a PPG average of 21.9 into the game.

Coming into today’s game, the Timberwolves’ defense is giving up an average of 105.2 points per contest.

In the terms of takeaways, Timberwolves are causing 14.1 turnovers per game, ranking 23rd in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 2nd in rejections, averaging 6.6 blocked shots each game.

Can the Pelicans Please their Home Crowd?

As they prepare to take on the Timberwolves, the Pelicans are looking to stay above .500. So far, their overall record is 12-11. In Western Conference play, the Pelicans are 9-9 and are 3-2 in non-conference games.

New Orleans currently has an ATS record of 13-10, placing them above .500 against the spread. This season, New Orleans has a 4-5 record against the spread when they are the favorites, and they are 9-5 as underdogs.

The Pelicans offense is coming off a game where they scored 89 points against the Lakers. They posted a field goal percentage of 35.8% and connected on 7 threes. Offensively, the Pelicans hold a season-long field goal percentage of 47%, placing them 11th in the national rankings. When it comes to three-pointers, they are ranked 20th in terms of percentage and 27th in three-pointers made.

On the defensive side, Pelicans is currently hovering around the NBA’s average for points allowed, conceding an average of 114.2 points per game.

When it comes to forced turnovers, the Pelicans are forcing 13.2 per game, which is 14th in the league. They also come into the game sitting 25th in blocked shots at 4.4 per game.