The Toronto Raptors and the Minnesota Timberwolves duke it out at the Target Center on Saturday night. Here’s a Minnesota Timberwolves vs Toronto Raptors Prediction. This article will include a Minnesota Timberwolves vs Toronto Raptors Pick.
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors kicked off their season with a big loss, but they will be feeling much better now after taking down the shorthanded 76ers in a 115-107 home win last night. Scottie Barnes led the team with 27 points on eight of 11 shooting, Jakob Poeltl added 19 points with nine rebounds and four blocks while Ochai Agbaji and Jamison Battle each scored 12 points. As a team, the Raptors shot 46 percent from the field and a miserly six of 23 from the 3-point line, but this win was more about their effort on the defensive end as they held the 76ers to just 38 percent shooting from the field for the entire game. The only blemish from the win was their ball protection as the Raptors finished with a total of 26 turnovers. The Raptors will face the Nuggets following this game.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves will be eager to stay hot after sneaking past the Kings in a thrilling 117-115 road win on Thursday. Julius Randle led the team in scoring with 33 points, five rebounds, and four assists on 13 of 17 shooting, Anthony Edwards added 32 points with seven rebounds and four assists while Naz Reid chipped in with 19 points and 13 rebounds off the bench. As a team, the Timberwolves shot 47 percent from the field and 20 of 50 from the 3-point line as they traded with the Kings in a tight contest until midway through the fourth quarter where the Timberwolves went on a pivotal 11-1 run to pull away and escape with the gritty win.
Why the Minnesota Timberwolves will win
- The Timberwolves have won each of their last 10 home openers against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The Raptors have lost nine of their last 10 night games on the second leg of a back-to-back.
- The Timberwolves have covered the spread in each of their last six home games against Atlantic Division opponents.
- The Raptors have failed to cover the spread in three of their last four games on the second leg of a back-to-back against Western Conference opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Timberwolves’ last 10 Saturday night games at Target Center have gone UNDER the total points line.
Toronto v Minnesota free prediction
The Raptors are still shorthanded with Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Kelly Olynyk all out, while the Timberwolves don’t have a single player listed on the injury report. The Raptors did well to beat the 76ers last night, but they committed 26 turnovers, which won’t be good enough to stay competitive against these Timberwolves. The line is certainly hefty for this one, but the Timberwolves looked fantastic in their win last night, especially the newly acquired Randle, who could be in for a big season. With that being said, I am sticking with the Timberwolves to get the big win and cover at home in this spot.