Old foes will meet in primetime as the Mavericks host the Timberwolves on Wednesday. These two clubs faced off in the Western Conference Finals last summer, but there are plenty of new faces on both benches. Minnesota swapped Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and currently injured shooter Donte DiVincenzo (toe). On the other side, Dallas signed Warriors legend Klay Thompson this offseason, but the team is still without superstar Luka Doncic (calf).
Despite all the roster shuffling, this is still a marquee matchup between Anthony Edwards and Kyrie Irving. Both stars will look to deliver a much-needed win to help their squads stay in playoff contention. Minnesota opens the contest as 3.5-point favorites, with the over/under set at 215 points on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Betting Splits
The Timberwolves have been one of the NBA’s most inconsistent groups this season, trading winning streaks for losing streaks every few weeks. Minnesota has gone 2-4 over its last six contests, despite spectacular play from Edwards during that time (30.0 PTS, 6.5 REB, 5.0 AST). Dallas has also struggled recently, losing four of its last five matchups. However, their recent play is more understandable given the absence of Doncic. At 23-20, the Mavs will need to string together some wins without their superstar if they want to avoid the play-in tournament.
Given Dallas’ current roster, it makes sense that most bettors would favor Minnesota’s moneyline (59%) and spread (63%). That percentage is even larger when looking at the handle, with 73% and 66% of cash on the moneyline and spread. The last time these two met, on Christmas Day, the Timberwolves won 105-99. However, the Mavericks lost Doncic mid-game and still managed to make things close in the fourth quarter. It’ll be interesting to see what adjustments head coaches Chris Finch and Jason Kidd make for this contest.
Both sides are missing dynamic scorers, but there are still a few big names capable of carrying an offense. Unlike last month’s slugfest, many seem to be expecting a higher-scoring affair this time around. 77% of all public betting favors over 215 total points being scored tonight. However, the sharp money is going in the opposite direction, with the under getting 70% of the handle.
Most Popular Player Props
Here are the five most bet on player props for tonight’s matchup:
- Julius Randle over 12.5 rebounds + assists (+105)
- Klay Thompson under 3.5 rebounds (-135)
- Kyrie Irving 30+ points (+150)
- Kyrie Irving over 2.5 three-pointers made (-145)
- Anthony Edwards over 26.5 points (-125)
Surprisingly, Julius Randle is getting plenty of attention from the betting public tonight. However, the play here does make sense. While the much-maligned forward is an unreliable scorer, he’s a steady contributor on the glass and as a passer. The Dallas native is averaging 9.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists over his last ten outings against the Mavericks.
Similar to Randle, Klay Thompson has been inconsistent during his first season away from the Warriors. The future Hall of Famer still has moments of brilliance, but he’s recorded just 13.6 points and 3.4 rebounds so far. The Timberwolves have held opponents to 51.5 boards per game, tenth-fewest in the NBA. With that in mind, Thompson doesn’t appear poised for a big day on the glass.
The next two most popular bets are backing Kyrie Irving. The guard has carried Dallas’ offense lately, averaging 24.6 points in 13 games without Doncic this season. While the workload should be there for the eight-time All-Star, he’ll certainly have his hands full on Wednesday. Minnesota has held opponents to the fourth-fewest points (107.4) and the fifth-fewest three-pointers made (12.8).
Anthony Edwards, even at the age of 23, is already one of the game’s biggest stars. When these two teams last met on Christmas, Ant-Man fell short of tonight’s line with 26 points. However, the former Rookie of the Year has posted 29.2 points over his last five games vs. Dallas. As one of the association’s most talented players, Edwards is a threat to go off at any given time.
