The Philadelphia 76ers will face off with the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7 p.m. ET.
This is the first of two matchups this season between these opponents. The 76ers arrive on the second night of a back-to-back after losing to the Pelicans last night, while the Timberwolves defeated the Mavericks on Friday in their first game back from the break.
The Timberwolves are 9.5-point favorites and -360 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The 76ers are +285 underdogs with the game total set at 238.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Sunday night matchup.
76ers vs. Timberwolves prediction, preview
The Philadelphia 76ers are 30-26 this season and sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. They enter this matchup on a four-game losing streak and have lost both games since returning from the All-Star break. On the season, the Sixers are 30-26 against the spread, and the game total is 29-27 to the over/under.
Joel Embiid will miss his fifth consecutive matchup tonight for continued knee and shin issues. The Sixers have lost all five of these matchups since the latest flare-up. Paul George also remains sidelined as he serves his 25-game suspension due to a violation of the NBA’s drug policy. This leaves Tyrese Maxey to headline the offensive production, although he has hit a bit of a wall with his efficiency of late. The All-Star guard is averaging 28.9 points, 6.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds this season.
Philadelphia is averaging the 14th-most points in the NBA at 115.9 per contest. The Sixers rank 13th in offensive rating, 26th in field goal percentage, 16th in three-point percentage, and 19th in pace. Opponents are scoring 116.1 points per game against the Sixers, which ranks 18th in the league. They rank 17th in defensive rating, 17th in opponent field goal percentage, and 11th in opponent three-point percentage.
The Minnesota Timberwolves enter with a 35-22 record, which slots them at sixth place in the Western Conference. They picked up a victory in their first game back from the All-Star break over the Mavericks, and hold a three-game winning streak dating back before this. Minnesota has gone 25-32 against the spread, and the game total is 28-29 to the over/under.
Rudy Gobert will be sidelined for this matchup due to flagrant foul accumulation. Naz Reid has also been downgraded to questionable with a right shoulder injury. Anthony Edwards headlines the production for Minnesota, posting averages of 29.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Julius Randle adds 22.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, while Donte DiVincenzo pours in 12.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Jaden McDaniels provides 14.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, while setting the tone defensively. Minnesota traded for Ayo Dosunmu at the trade deadline, and he is averaging 12.3 points and 2.8 assists in his first four games with the team.
The Timberwolves are scoring 119.7 points per game, which is the fourth-best rate in the league. They also rank seventh in offensive rating, fourth in field goal percentage, and fourth in three-point percentage. Opponents are scoring 114.7 points per game against Minnesota, which ranks 12th in the league. They also rank seventh in defensive rating, 10th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and 12th in opponents’ three-point percentage.
76ers vs. Timberwolves pick, best bet
It is officially time to sound the panic alarm surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers. While they showed an encouraging ability to play without Embiid at the start of the season, the wheels have fallen off just as his injuries have flared up. As impressive as Maxey has been, he has struggled to lead the team to positive results as the primary option. Outside of Maxey, the Sixers are starved of offensive creators. VJ Edgecombe has hit the rookie wall, and Quentin Grimes has been far more inconsistent than the Sixers need him to be.
This is a Timberwolves team that is capable of capitalizing on each of these factors. While their defensive metrics have not shined this year, count on Edwards and McDaniels to have success limiting Maxey and the rest of the Sixers’ attack. Philadelphia has also struggled on the boards all season, ranking 19th in the league in rebounds per game, 22nd in opponent rebounds allowed and 21st in total rebounding percentage. Expect Randle to impose himself on the glass.
The Sixers ran out of gas in last night’s loss to the Pelicans, being outscored 69-46 in the second half. This game will not be any better against a more talented team on the second night of a back-to-back.
