Two of the better teams in their respective conferences clash when the Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in a key NBA matchup on Friday night. The Timberwolves (44-19), the top seed in the Western Conference, have won seven of the past 10 games. The Cavaliers (40-22), the third seed in the Eastern Conference, have won four of the past seven games and are 22-7 since Jan. 3, the second-best record in the league over that stretch. This is the first of two meetings this season. Ty Jerome (ankle), Donovan Mitchell (knee), Evan Mobley (ankle), Max Strus (knee) and Tristan Thompson (suspension) are out for the Cavs. The Timberwolves will be without Karl-Anthony Towns (knee), who is out indefinitely.
Tipoff from Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Cleveland leads the all-time series 39-26, but Minnesota has won the last three meetings. Cleveland is a 1.5-point favorites in the latest Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 207. Before making any Cavaliers vs. Timberwolves picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions from SportsLine’s proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 20 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 64-40 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,200. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Cavs vs. Wolves. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Wolves vs. Cavs:
- Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers spread: Cavaliers -1.5
- Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers over/under: 207 points
- Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers money line: Minnesota -116, Cleveland -103
- MIN: The Timberwolves are 21-11 on the road this season
- CLE: The Cavaliers have hit the game total under in 45 of their last 74 games (+14.25 units)
- Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Timberwolves can cover
Veteran center Rudy Gobert has stepped up his play with Towns out. In Thursday’s win over Indiana, Gobert registered his fourth double-double in a row with 18 points and 14 rebounds. In a 119-114 win over Portland on Monday, Gobert had 25 points and 16 rebounds, while scoring 12 points and adding 16 rebounds in an 89-88 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. Going into play on Thursday, Gobert was averaging 13.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.2 assists in 33.8 minutes of action.
Another player being counted on to produce scoring in Towns’ absence is shooting guard Anthony Edwards. Edwards, the top pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, was on fire on Thursday, scoring a game-high 44 points against the Pacers. He entered play averaging 26.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 34.9 minutes of action. He scored 41 points in a 121-109 win at Portland on Feb. 13. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why the Cavaliers can cover
With Mitchell out, Cleveland will turn to point guard Darius Garland to help power the offense. He has reached double-digit scoring in each of the past five games, including a 16-point and 11-assist performance in a 105-104 win over Boston on Tuesday. He scored 29 points and added five rebounds and four assists in a 110-100 win at Detroit on March 1. In 38 games, all starts, he is averaging 18.2 points, 6.2 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals.
Center Jarrett Allen has been a beast of late, racking up three double-doubles in the past four games. In Wednesday’s loss at Atlanta, he scored 18 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, while dishing out three assists. He had 21 points and 12 rebounds in the victory over Boston on Tuesday. In 57 games, all starts, he is averaging 15.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 blocks in 31.4 minutes. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Cavaliers vs. Timberwolves picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 219 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits more than 60% of the time. You can only see the picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Timberwolves vs. Cavs, and which side of the spread hits more than 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 64-40 roll on top-rated NBA picks this season, and find out.
