Charlotte Hornets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 2/15/2022

Time: 8 p.m. ET

Venue: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN

Where to watch: BSN, BSSE-CHA

DraftKings: Timberwolves -6.5

WynnBet: Timberwolves -6.5 

Caesars: NL

Hornets: 29-29

Timberwolves: 30-27

Hornets: lost seven of eight

Timberwolves: won six of eight

I fall into this trap with the Charlotte Hornets every time. They go on this run that makes them look like a tough team in the Eastern Conference, only to follow it with this slide they're on and make me think they're frauds.

After seven losses in eight games, the Hornets are coming into Tuesday's matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves crashing back down to Earth. The Hornets are back to .500 ball and aren't necessarily out of any playoff push, but the defense has got to get things going again.

In their last 10 games, the Hornets have scored 112.8 points per game, which is great! What's not great is giving up 115.5 points per contest. That is, in a word, horrible! There's really no reason why this team should be so bad on the defensive side of the ball with strong play from LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier.

Ball, the first-time All-Star, is averaging 20 points and almost eight assists per game for the Hornets, while Rozier is averaging 21 points over his last 10 games.

Charlotte is coming off a 125-118 home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in which the Hornets trailed by 21 points in the first quarter alone. Rozier and Ball combined for 60 points, while Montrezl Harrell had 20 points in his Charlotte debut, but the team combined to shoot just 40 percent.

"I don't know if it is a road-home thing or whatever. We just have to play better, that is the bottom line," Hornets coach James Borrego said. "We have a number of home games the rest of the way and we have to play better and get off to better starts. That is the goal here and we can protect our home court like we did early in the season and we will get back to that."

That's the hope you can have as a young team, but it's a crucial year, I think, for the Hornets. Ball's development has gone as well as you could hope. Rozier is showing those All-Star flashes. Miles Bridges has taken that next leap, though there's a chance he could leave. The loss of Gordon Hayward has seemingly hurt the overall balance between this group, and that's something Charlotte needs to find a way to address.

Is this really the year we take full stock in the Timberwolves? It might be a Hornets situation where the jury is still out, but Minnesota is not going away quietly now at three games above .500.

But unlike their opponents on Tuesday night, the Timberwolves have been able to play enough defense to get some wins. Minnesota's offense has been great, averaging 124.5 points over the last 10 games despite giving up 120.1 at the other end.

Patrick Beverley, who just signed a one-year, $13 million extension on Monday, is going to be responsible for bringing those numbers down. The defensive ace has dealt with injuries all season, but has since returned and will be that reliable security blanket for D'Angelo Russell in the backcourt.

Russell has had a revitalizing season in his second with Minnesota, averaging 19.1 points and seven assists while Karl-Anthony Towns continues his All-Star season at 24 points and almost 10 rebounds over the past 10 games.

But the biggest reason why Minnesota has made this leap has been the play of Anthony Edwards. The reigning Rookie of the Year has taken another leap in Year 2, averaging 23.2 points per game over the past1 11 games at 35 minutes a night.

Edwards had 37 points in the T'Wolves' 129-120 win against the new-look Indiana Pacers on Sunday, going 13 of 25 from the floor.

"When he's playing that well, we're a tough team," Beverley said, referring to Edwards. "I love the way he played tonight, put the pressure on them all night. He's hard to guard and it can be anybody's night."

I don't want to think the Hornets will keep this slide up for long, but Minnesota presents so many matchup problems to the current core of Charlotte. There's no inside presence to slow down Towns; Ball and Rozier have already done so much over the last number of games to where someone is going to have to make a contribution offensively. I'd say Bridges, but he'll have his hands full all night with Jarred Vanderbilt and Towns packing the paint. Give me Minnesota by double figures. Timberwolves by 14

The Hornets are 45-25 ATS after losing two of three.

The Hornets are 22-11 ATS after three straight games of shooting at least 47 percent from the floor.

The Timberwolves are 29-30 ATS as a favorite, and 16-24 ATS as a home favorite over the past three seasons.

PG: LaMelo Ball

SG: Terry Rozier

SF: Kelly Oubre Jr.

PF: Miles Bridges

C: Mason Plumlee

PG: Patrick Beverley

SG: D'Angelo Russell

SF: Anthony Edwards

PF: Jarred Vanderbilt

C: Karl-Anthony Towns

Hornets: Gordon Hayward (ankle, out), Cody Martin (Achilles, out), Jalen McDaniels (ankle, out)

Timberwolves: None

Points: LaMelo Ball -- 20.1

Rebounds: Mason Plumlee -- 7.9

Assists: LaMelo Ball -- 7.5

Points: Karl-Anthony Towns -- 24.1

Rebounds: Karl-Anthony Towns -- 9.6

Assists: D'Angelo Russell -- 6.9