Update: Williamson has been ruled out, and the line is now up to Timberwolves -10. The total now comes in at 217. We’ll maintain our picks, taking Timberwolves ATS and the under. Double-digit point spreads in the regular season can be tough but New Orleans is simply too depleted to put up a fight in this one.
The New Orleans Pelicans (4-3) will head on the road to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves (4-2) Wednesday night. The Pels are coming off a 134-116 loss to the Nuggets, marking their second straight loss, while the Timberwolves handed the Celtics their first loss of the season, winning their third straight.
The Pelicans will be missing the services of CJ McCollum, who is out for the foreseeable future with a collapsed lung.
The Timberwolves are 7.5-point favorites at home, priced at -290 on the moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook. The Pelicans are set at +235 while the point total is 218.5.
Pelicans vs. Timberwolves, 8 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Timberwolves -7.5
Minnesota has covered the spread in its last three games by some fairly big margins, with two of those by over 20 points. Anthony Edwards leads the way with 28.2 points per game as the Wolves have been on a run of good form through their last three. Rudy Gobert has been averaging 12.3 rebounds per game.
The Pelicans will miss McCollum, who has been averaging 21.7 points per game so far, but Zion Williamson will be expected to help pick up the slack. The big man leads the team in scoring with 21.8 points per game while adding 7.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per outing as well.
With McCollum sidelined indefinitely and the Timberwolves riding a three-game winning streak, I’m backing the home side to pick up the win and cover the spread at Target Center.
Over/Under: Under 218.5
Minnesota has only hit the over twice while the Pels have done it three times this season, and with one of New Orleans’ top scorers out of the mix on Wednesday night, I’m expecting this to be a lower-scoring affair with plenty of defense on both ends of the court. Take the under.