San Antonio Spurs vs Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Pick & Prediction 12/29/24

At 8:00 ET, the Minnesota Timberwolves (-224) will host the San Antonio Spurs (+186) in a Western Conference matchup. The Timberwolves are favored by 6 points and have won their last two games. The over/under line is set at 214.5.

This game will be played at the Target Center in Minneapolis and can be seen on FDSN. The Spurs are 16-15 and currently sit 9th in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves are 16-14 and are 8th in the West.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS VS MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES BETTING PICK

The Pick: San Antonio Spurs +6

This game will be played at Target Center at 8:00 ET on Sunday, December 29th.

WHY BET THE SAN ANTONIO SPURS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 150-125 in favor of the Spurs.
• Our projections have Victor Wembanyama finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists.
• From the field, we have the Spurs finishing with a field goal percentage of 46.7% and knocking down 17 threes.

Can the Spurs Lock in a Road Win?

The Spurs moved above .500 for the season with a 96-87 win over the Nets on Friday, bringing their record to 16-15. San Antonio, who were favored by 8 points, covered the spread with the victory. The total score of 183 points fell well short of the 212.5-point over/under line.

San Antonio turned the game around with a 12-0 run, flipping the score from 22-11 to 34-22. They dominated the 2nd and 3rd quarters, outscoring Brooklyn 63-40, and entered the 4th quarter with a 74-62 lead. The Nets edged the Spurs 25-22 in the final period, but San Antonio held on for the win.

In the Spurs’ win over the Nets, Victor Wembanyama led the way with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, shooting 50% from the field and hitting 3 threes at 50% efficiency. Julian Champagnie added 18 points, connecting on 5 threes at 71.4% from deep, while Keldon Johnson contributed 15 points and 6 rebounds.

San Antonio shot 41% from the field, but their three-point shooting stood out, hitting 12 threes at 41.4%. Wembanyama scored 11 points in the 3rd quarter, while Champagnie added 10 in the 2nd and 5 more in the 4th.

The Spurs put on a defensive clinic on Friday, holding the Nets to just 87 points in their win. San Antonio gave up 22 points in the 1st quarter, then tightened the screws, allowing 19 in the 2nd, 21 in the 3rd, and 25 in the 4th. Overall, they limited Brooklyn to 38% shooting from the field.

From beyond the arc, the Spurs held the Nets to 29% shooting, with Brooklyn making 12 threes. San Antonio also sent the Nets to the line just 8 times, where they made 5 free throws. The Spurs finished with 10 steals and 8 blocks.

Are the Timberwolves Ready for a Home Win?

The Timberwolves improved to 16-14 this season with a 113-112 road win over the Rockets on Friday. Minnesota, who entered the game as +1 point underdogs, not only picked up the win but also covered the spread. The game’s total of 225 points went over the pre-game line of 215.5 by 9.5 points.

Minnesota led 57-52 at halftime but fell behind 84-76 after a 32-19 third quarter by the Rockets. Houston then went on a 10-0 run, extending their lead from 94-86 to 104-86. However, the Timberwolves rallied in the 4th, outscoring the Rockets 37-28 to complete the comeback.

The Timberwolves shot 50.6% from the field and connected on 21 threes at a 48.8% rate in their win over the Rockets. Julius Randle led the way with 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, hitting 5 threes at 83.3% efficiency.

Anthony Edwards added 24 points, with 13 coming in the 1st quarter. Donte DiVincenzo hit 6 threes, finishing with 22 points, including 14 in the 2nd quarter.

Defensively, the Timberwolves were strong in the 1st quarter, giving up just 21 points, but they allowed 31 and 32 points in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, respectively. They tightened up in the 4th, allowing 28 points, which was enough to secure the win despite allowing 112 points overall.

Minnesota did a good job defending the three, holding the Rockets to 10 made threes on 33% shooting. They also sent Houston to the line 19 times, where the Rockets made 12 free throws. The Timberwolves recorded 9 steals and 6 blocks in the game.