The New Orleans Pelicans and the Minnesota Timberwolves duke it out at the Target Center on Wednesday night.

New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans enjoyed a strong start to the season with four wins in their first five games, but they are now looking to avoid a third straight defeat after getting routed by the Nuggets in a 134-116 road loss on Monday. Jordan Hawkins led the team with 31 points on 10 of 19 shooting, Brandon Ingram added 22 points, Zion Williamson scored 20 points with 10 rebounds and nine assists while Matt Ryan chipped in with 17 points off the bench. As a team, the Pelicans shot 50 percent from the field and 13 of 30 from the 3-point line as they exploded for 44 points in the second quarter to build a 20-point lead, only to get blown out by 75-45 in the second half to suffer their worst loss of the season so far. 

New Orleans Pelicans Team Facts

• The Pelicans have won four of their last five games as underdogs following a loss.
• The Pelicans have covered the spread in each of their last four games as road underdogs against the Timberwolves following a loss.
• Fourteen of the Pelicans’ last 16 road games against Western Conference opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves are in fine form with four wins in their past five games and they will be gunning for a fourth straight victory after outlasting the Celtics in a 114-109 overtime home win on Monday. Anthony Edwards led the way with 38 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, Jaden McDaniels added 20 points while Rudy Gobert tallied 14 points with 12 rebounds on six of six shooting. As a team, the Timberwolves shot 51 percent from the field and 13 of 37 from the 3-point line as they wasted a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter, before they made up for it in overtime where they held the Celtics to just eight points to earn the statement win. 

Minnesota Timberwolves Team Facts

• The home team has won each of the Timberwolves’ last eight games.
• The home team has covered the spread in each of the Timberwolves’ last six games.
• Each of the Timberwolves’ last six home games against Southwest Division opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.

Peter’s Pick

The Pelicans are still missing CJ McCollum, Naji Marshall and Trey Murphy, while the Timberwolves are missing Jordan McLaughlin. The Pelicans’ season took a real turn for the worst when they lost McCollum to a collapsed lung and they couldn’t be meeting up with the Timberwolves at a worse time, given that the Timberwolves are fresh off beating the previously undefeated Celtics. The Pelicans blew a 20-point lead in their last game and still got blown out, so I think the Timberwolves maintain their momentum with a big win and cover against this shorthanded Pelicans outfit.