Portland Trail Blazers vs Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Pick & Prediction 11/8/24
At 9:00 ET, the Minnesota Timberwolves will host the Portland Trail Blazers in a Western Northwest division matchup. The Timberwolves are favored by 12 points and have a moneyline of -775, while the Blazers are +540. The over/under line is set at 220.5.
This game will be played at the Target Center in Minneapolis and can be seen on KATU.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES BETTING PICK
The Pick: Portland Trail Blazers +12
This game will be played at Target Center at 9:00 ET on Friday, November 8th.
WHY BET THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 124-122 in favor of the Trail Blazers.
- Our projections have Anfernee Simons finishing with Anfernee Simons points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists.
- From the field, we have the Trail Blazers finishing with a field goal percentage of 49.0% and knocking down 11 threes.
Will the Trail Blazers Win on the Road?
The Trail Blazers dropped to 3-6 on the season following a 118-105 road loss to the Spurs on Thursday. Portland entered the game as +4.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total score of 223 points exceeded the O/U line of 217.5 by 5.5 points.
Portland took a 55-56 lead into the half after outscoring the Spurs 28-23 in the 2nd quarter. However, a rough 3rd quarter saw them outscored 35-24, putting them down 91-79 heading into the 4th. The Blazers couldn’t mount a comeback, as they were edged 27-26 in the final period.
In the Trail Blazers’ 118-105 loss to the Spurs, Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton each contributed 21 points, with Ayton shooting 66.7% from the field and Grant hitting 60%. Anfernee Simons added 19 points, knocking down 3 threes at 33.3% efficiency.
Portland struggled from beyond the arc, making just 9 threes at a 28.1% clip, though they shot 47.7% overall. Ayton was strong early, scoring 9 points in the 1st quarter, while Simons added 7 points in both the 3rd and 4th quarters.
Defensively, the Trail Blazers had a strong 2nd quarter, giving up just 23 points, but they struggled in the 1st and 3rd quarters, allowing 33 and 35 points, respectively. Overall, Portland gave up 118 points on 53% shooting from the field.
Portland also allowed the Spurs to hit 16 threes at a 41% clip. The Spurs went to the line 18 times, converting 14 free throws. The Blazers finished with 27 defensive rebounds, gave up 12 offensive boards, and recorded 7 steals.
Are Minnesota Ready for a Home Win?
The Timberwolves improved to 5-3 on the season with a 135-119 road win over the Bulls on Thursday. Minnesota, favored by 9.5 points, covered the spread, and the game’s total points of 254.5 exceeded the O/U line of 226.5.
After trailing 65-56 at halftime, the Timberwolves turned things around in the 2nd half. They outscored Chicago 34-30 in the 3rd quarter and dominated the 4th, winning it 45-24. A key 12-0 run extended their lead from 106-102 to 118-102.
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves to a win over the Bulls, scoring 33 points and hitting 5 threes at a 55.6% rate. He also added 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Rudy Gobert was highly efficient, shooting 81.8% from the field and contributing 21 points and 9 rebounds.
Minnesota shot 54.3% from the field and made 16 threes at a 42.1% clip. Edwards scored 13 points in the 4th quarter, while Gobert added 11. Jaden McDaniels also had a strong game, finishing with 19 points.
Even with a rough defensive outing, the Timberwolves managed to secure a win, allowing 119 points to the Bulls. Minnesota gave up 34 points in the 1st quarter and 31 in the 2nd, but tightened up a bit in the 4th, holding Chicago to 24 points.
The Bulls shot 53% from the field, including 41% from three, where they made 15 threes. Minnesota sent Chicago to the line 15 times, where they hit 10 free throws. The Timberwolves recorded 7 steals and 4 blocks in the game.