New Orleans Pelicans vs Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Pick & Prediction 1/3/24

Planning on watching today’s Pelicans and Timberwolves game? Catch the action at Target Center in Minneapolis, MN, as the Timberwolves hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on BSN. The over/under for this game is set at 223.5 points, and the Timberwolves are the home favorites against the Pelicans in a Western conference matchup.

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS VS MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES BETTING PICK

The Pick: New Orleans Pelicans +7

This game will be played at Target Center at 8:00 ET on Wednesday, January 3rd.

WHY BET THE NEW ORLEANS PELICANS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 116-115 in favor of the Pelicans.
• Our projections have Brandon Ingram finishing with Brandon Ingram points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
• From the field, we have the Pelicans finishing with a field goal percentage of 47.6% and knocking down 10 threes.

Can the Pelicans Pull Off a Road Win?

Through 34 games, the Pelicans are 20-14 and have put together three straight wins. As they travel to take on the Timberwolves, they are 7-point underdogs.

In the Western Conference, New Orleans is currently in 6th place and leads the Southwest Division. Against other teams in the West, the Pelicans are 13-12 compared to 7-2 in non-conference matchups.

When playing on the road, New Orleans has gone 8-7 this season and will be looking for their 4th straight road win. Their average scoring margin on the road is +0.8 points per game, and they have an average ATS differential of +0.1 as the underdog.

This season, the Pelicans have a straight-up record of 20-14 and have gone 19-15 against the spread. Their over/under record this season is 16-18, and the under has been the result in their games below today’s over/under line in 7 of 8 instances.

In their most recent game, the Pelicans scored 112 points, which is in line with their season average of 115.9. As for leading scorers, Brandon Ingram is averaging 23 PPG while Zion Williamson is averaging 22 PPG.

This season, the Pelicans defense has been impressive, holding the 10th position in the league while permitting an average of 112.1 points per contest. The New Orleans defense has allowed opponents to shoot 33.6% from beyond the arc this season. Opposing teams are also hitting 46.1% of their field goal attempts vs. New Orleans.

Can the Timberwolves Secure a Win at Home?

With an overall record of 24-8, the Timberwolves will look to pick up a win at home today as 7-point favorites over the Pelicans. If they are able to come through, they will also snap a couple of ATS streaks, as they have failed to cover the spread in three straight home games and four straight games overall.

As it stands, Minnesota is in 1st place in the Western Conference. Against other teams in the West, the Timberwolves have gone 17-4 compared to 7-4 in non-conference matchups.

Minnesota has been a much better team at home this season, as they are just 14-1 compared to 10-7 on the road. However, 11th in both home and road wins, they have some work to do in order to move up the standings in these categories.

The over/under record for the Timberwolves is currently sitting below .500 at 17-15. Each of their last two games have also finished below the OU lines for those games. On average, their games have combined to finish at 220.6 points per game this season.

When looking at their overall offensive numbers, the Timberwolves have been scoring 113 points per game this season. However, in their most recent game against the Knicks, they scored 106 points and shot 47.4% from the field. Leading the team in scoring is Anthony Edwards, who is averaging 26.3 points per game, while Karl-Anthony Towns is second on the team with 21.4 points per game.

On defense, the Timberwolves come into the game ranked 1st in the league in points allowed at 107.5 per game. Over their last three games, the team is allowing 109.3 points per contest (8th). When it comes to forced turnovers, the Timberwolves are forcing 14.7 per game, which is 27th in the league. They also come into the game sitting 6th in blocked shots at 6.1 per game.