The 42-27 Timberwolves will host the 20-48 Jazz tonight at 8 PM EST. The Timberwolves will be without Anthony Edwards for the foreseeable future, but have not submitted the rest of their injury report. The Jazz have listed Ace Bailey as Questionable, and have listed Keyonte George as Out.
The Timberwolves are 13.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook with the total for this game set at 233.5 points.
Timberwolves vs. Jazz prediction, preview
The Jazz have been a bad team yet again this season. Their issues on the defensive end reared their ugly head this season. It certainly doesn’t help that they lost Walker Kessler, one of the main rim protectors, for the season. Newly acquired big man Jaren Jackson Jr. has also been ruled out for the season, and it’s unlikely that Lauri Markkanen will play many more games for Utah this year. In their last 10, the Jazz have scored at a decent rate with 115.3 OFFRTG but their leaky 121.5 DEFRTG has caused severe issues. They’re simply giving up way too many quality looks in too many situations. Now that Keyonte George is out for a few weeks, things are becoming even tougher on the offensive end. George is putting up a career-high 23.6 PPG on 45.6% shooting from the floor. He’s been one of their few bright spots and a legitimate MIP contender. I’d also expect the Jazz to wake up next season. Once they’re fully healthy with this roster, they have a legitimate case to be a playoff team in the West.
Minnesota, on the other hand, is doing well. They have to figure out how to generate offense in the short term without Anthony Edwards, who will miss at least a week with a right knee inflammation. They’ll lean heavily on Julius Randle, who’s in his second season on the team. Randle is putting up 21.2 PPG with 59% TS, and recently broke out of a brutal shooting slump with back to back 32 point games. If the Timberwolves want to stay above water, they’ll need Randle to continue delivering. They’ll also need more committee scoring while maintaining their defensive intensity. The Wolves are 9th in DEFRTG, with 112.9 on the season.
Timberwolves vs. Jazz pick, best bet
Best Bet: MIN Timberwolves -13.5 (-112)
The Timberwolves are 2-1 vs. the Jazz this season and have averaged 126.3 PPG in those three games, including a huge 137-97 blowout on November 7th. With Edwards out, the door is at least slightly open for the Jazz to make this even remotely close, but Utah’s injury situation and pathetic defense make it difficult to trust them covering this spread.
