Minnesota Timberwolves vs Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Picks, Odds, Predictions 1/31/21

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Minnesota Timberwolves duke it out at the Target Center on Sunday night.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been in decent shape as they’ve won four of their last seven games, but they will be hoping to bounce back in this one after getting routed by the Knicks in a 102-81 road loss on Friday. Darius Garland led the team with 24 points on nine of 17 shooting, Collin Sexton added 17 points with five assists on six of 18 shooting while Jarrett Allen chipped in with 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists off the bench, but nobody else scored more than eight points. As a team, the Cavaliers shot a miserly 34 percent from the field and eight of 26 from the 3-point line as they came out flat and were always fighting an uphill battle after managing just 33 points in a horrific first half performance. Taurean Prince and Cedi Osman both shot one of seven from the field while Larry Nance Jr. shot just one of nine from the field to finish with two points.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been in terrible form so far as they’ve lost 14 of their first 18 games and they will be hoping to snap a three-game skid after getting destroyed by the 76ers in a 118-94 home loss on Friday. Malik Beasley led the team with 22 points on nine of 19 shooting, Anthony Edwards added 15 points on five of 13 shooting in a rare start wihle D’Angelo Russell chipped in with 14 points on three of 11 shooting. As a team, the Timberwolves shot just 42 percent from the field and 10 of 33 from the 3-point line as they trailed by just five points at halftime, before getting blown out in the second half where they allowed the 76ers to pour on 65 points. Naz Reid sat out the game with a sprained right wrist and is unlikely to suit up on Sunday.

Looking at the betting trends, the Cavaliers are 1-5 ATS in their last six home games, 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a loss of more than 10 points and 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall. The Timberwolves are 16-35-1 ATS in their last 52 home games, 4-1 ATS in their last five games against a team with a losing record and 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.

Head to head, the over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings overall and the Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings in Minnesota.

The Cavaliers have been such an improved team this season, but they will be eager to get back on the court after getting routed in their last outing, while the Timberwolves have struggled from day one and they’ll likely be without one of their more underrated players in Reid who is dealing with a wrist sprain. The Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings in Minnesota and with the line so short, I’m banking on that trend continuing here as the Cavaliers should be good enough to escape with the win and cover here.