Chicago Bulls vs Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Pick & Prediction 3/31/24

At 7:00 ET, the Timberwolves (-366) will host the Bulls (+286) in a non-conference matchup. Minnesota is favored by 8.5 points and has won four straight games. The over/under line for this game is 212 points.

This game will be played at the Target Center in Minneapolis and can be seen on NBCS.

CHICAGO BULLS VS MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Chicago Bulls +8.5

This game will be played at Target Center at 7:00 ET on Sunday, March 31st.

WHY BET THE CHICAGO BULLS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 112-111 in favor of the Bulls.
• Our projections have DeMar DeRozan finishing with DeMar DeRozan points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.
• From the field, we have the Bulls finishing with a field goal percentage of 46.7% and knocking down 12 threes.

Will the Bulls Pull Through as the Away Underdog?

As the 9th seed in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls are 35-39 this season. In the Central Division, they are in 4th place. On the road, Chicago is 16-20 compared to 19-19 at home.

Against the spread, the Bulls are 36-37 for the season and have gone 18-17 ATS on the road. Currently, they have failed to cover the spread in their last two road games.

Chicago’s O/U record for the season is 40-33-1, and their games have averaged 225.9 points per game. Today’s O/U line of 212 is lower than all but one of their games this season.

In their most recent game, the Bulls lost to the Nets by a score of 125-108. The O/U line for that game was 214.5, and Chicago was favored by 3 points going into the game.

This season, the Bulls have been one of the better teams in the NBA at getting to the free-throw line, ranking 17th in free-throw attempts. They are also 20th in pace, averaging 96.9 possessions per game.

Chicago has been a below-average three-point shooting team this season, ranking 24th in three-point attempts and 26th in three-point makes. Overall, they are 19th in three-point shooting percentage.

When it comes to scoring, the Bulls are 23rd in the NBA at 112.1 points per game. Interestingly, they have actually scored more on the road (112.5) than at home (111.8) this season.

On the defensive side, Bulls is currently hovering around the NBA’s average for points allowed, conceding an average of 113.7 points per game. Inside the arc, the Bulls defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 55.8% and 36.7% from three-point territory.

Can Minnesota Pull Out the Win as Home Favorites?

In Minnesota’s last game, they defeated the Nuggets by a score of 111-98. The Timberwolves were 3-point underdogs going into the game.

Minnesota has won their last four games and currently has the best record in the Western Conference at 51-22. In the Western Conference, they are 35-12 and 12-3 against other teams in the Northwest Division.

This season, Minnesota has an ATS record of 38-34, going 21-16 ATS on the road and 17-18 ATS at home. They have covered the spread in their last three home games and are 27-28 ATS as the favorite.

On average, Minnesota’s games have finished with a combined scoring total of 219.2 points, which is lower than today’s O/U line of 212. The team’s O/U record for the season is 36-37.

Looking at their season-long performance, the Timberwolves are 42-14 as the favorite. As the favorite, they have an ATS record of 27-28 compared to going 11-6 ATS as the underdog.

At home, the Timberwolves are averaging 111.4 points per game, which is 24th in the NBA. Overall, they are 18th in the league with 113 points per game. In terms of pace, Minnesota is 22nd at 96.9 possessions per game.

So far this season, the Timberwolves have outscored the NBA average in 42.5% of their games. When it comes to field goal percentage, they are 10th in the league at 48%. In terms of three-point shooting, Minnesota is 3rd in the NBA at 38%.

When it comes to getting to the free-throw line, the Timberwolves are 10th in attempts at 22.9 per game. In terms of assists, Minnesota is 16th in the league with 26.5 per game. So far, they have made an average of 17.8 free throws per game.

This season, the Timberwolves defense has been impressive, holding the 1st position in the league while permitting an average of 106.2 points per contest. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Timberwolves squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 50.5% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 35.1% from downtown.