Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Odds, Analysis, NBA Pick
The Minnesota Timberwolves (21-34) will attempt to defeat an Eastern Conference team for the third straight time Tuesday when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers (37-16) as small home underdogs. The Timberwolves have won their last two games against opponents from the East by a combined 31 points following a 117-89 rout of the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.
Point spread: The Cavaliers opened as 4.5-point favorites; the total is at 218.5, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. Line updates and matchup report.
NBA pick, via OddsShark computer: 114.2-109.4 Cavaliers (NBA picks on every game)
Why the Cavaliers can cover the spread
The defending NBA champion Cavaliers are obviously the better team here and should probably be favored by a lot more in this spot. They have won the past five meetings with Minnesota, going 4-1 against the spread. Three of those wins versus the Timberwolves were decided by more than 20 points, and Cleveland has won five of six overall both straight up and ATS as well.
With just two games left before the NBA All-Star break, the Cavs will want to finish the first half strong with another easy victory, staying ahead of the Boston Celtics for the top seed.
Why the Timberwolves can cover the spread
While a 28-point rout of the Bulls might not be anything to brag about, especially when you consider that Minnesota head coach Tom Thibodeau used to coach them, beating the Toronto Raptors 112-109 as three-point home dogs on February 8 is very respectable.
There is no doubt that the Timberwolves have a ton of young talent, otherwise Thibodeau would not have taken the job. This is a team to watch in the next few seasons, and one that is certainly capable of upsetting quality teams occasionally. In fact, a little more than a year ago, Minnesota covered versus Cleveland on the road.
Smart pick
The Cavs have won and covered three in a row as road favorites of five points or less after losing three straight under that scenario. All three wins have taken place this month, proving how serious Cleveland is taking its games leading up to the All-Star break.
Even though the Cavs fell on the road 118-109 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 9 for their lone setback this month, they still played LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love and went for another victory. Bet on Cleveland to rock Minnesota.
Betting trends
The Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against the Timberwolves.
The Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games.
The Cavaliers are 3-0 ATS in their last three games as road favorites of five points or less.
All NBA lines and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.
