by Chuck Sommers
Tuesday, Jan 31, 2023
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Venue: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Where to watch: BSN, NBCSBA
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Warriors -2.5
FanDuel: Warriors -3
BetMGM: Warriors -2.5
Caesars: Warriors -2.5
Season record
Warriors: 26-24
Timberwolves: 27-26
The second half of the basketball season is upon us, and what a cluster we've got in the standings right now, right? So many teams are in the playoff hunt, so many teams not expected to make the playoffs are in the process of trying to prove people wrong. You know who doesn't need to be made wrong? Our champion handicappers who have been killing it all year long. Scott Rickenbach is coming off a 5-2-0 week over the last seven days, while Doc's Sports has been efficient at 14-8-0 over the last 30 days. Do you want to get on this winning? Make sure you're following our champion handicappers at bigal.com to celebrate in these moments!
Warriors - Timberwolves preview, prediction and analysis
Recent form
Warriors: won 128-120 at Thunder
Timberwolves: lost 118-111 (OT) vs. Kings
Don't look now but the Golden State Warriors appear to be winning games again and that could be the sign of trouble for the rest of the NBA. And funny enough that could also be a problem for the Minnesota Timberwolves if they don't figure out how to play some consistent basketball. That could all change on Wednesday when the two teams meet at Target Center.
Don't look now but the Golden State Warriors appear to be winning games again and that could be the sign of trouble for the rest of the NBA. And funny enough that could also be a problem for the Minnesota Timberwolves if they don't figure out how to play some consistent basketball. That could all change on Wednesday when the two teams meet at Target Center.
It has been about as abysmal of a year as you can imagine for the Warriors but after three straight victories, And yeah things seem to be turning in the right direction for Golden State. They are coming off a 128-120 win at Oklahoma City on Monday.
Steph Curry got back to his old self it seemed like in this game with a game high 38 points while making eight of 14 from 3 point range and 12 of 20 overall. In short it was just another stellar night for the reigning finals MVP. Klay Thompson also added 28 points on 10 of 21 shooting and he made six of his 14 attempts from behind the three-point line. Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins each added 15 from the starting five.
“This was really a key game for us on the trip,” coach Steve Kerr said. “To start out with a win puts us in a good position to get some rest tomorrow, prepare for Minnesota, go attack that game and see what happens. ... So we needed this one tonight, and guys did a great job of winning and getting it. Now, we’ve got to get greedy and go get the next one.”
Golden State has won five of its last seven and has also found a way to cover in five of his last seven games with the last two wins being govers. There was a time earlier in the season with the Golden State team couldn't even figure out how to do that. But here we are in late January and Golden State may have finally figured it out which is going to be bad news for the rest of the league.
Minnesota is coming off a series split over the Sacramento Kings with both games in Minneapolis. The first one went to Minnesota on January 28th in a 117-110 victory, but two days later the kings were able to get their revenge in overtime by beating Minnesota 118-111.
Anthony Edwards continued to show why he is deserving of some All-Star candidacy at this point with 33 points on 14 of 17 shooting with eight rebounds to go along with five assists. Rudy Gobert had 19 points and 14 rebounds 4 Minnesota, who shot 13 of 25 from the free throw line. Do the math that is a good 52% of free throw conversion in which Minnesota lost the chance to win the game. Gobert went five of 10 from the free throw line.
“He’s drawing a big crowd,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “For the most part, he’s trying to make the right play. Maybe he needs to see it a little earlier.”
The Timberwolves have gone 7-3 against the spread in its last 10 games while they have gone 6-4 outright.
Prediction
Minnesota is still too inconsistent for me to believe that they can start rattling off a long winning streak. There's too much talent to let this squander by. And I think Golden State will find a way to keep this good vibe going. Warriors 120, Timberwolves 108
Betting trends
Warriors are 13-27 ATS on the road when the line is +3 to -3 the last 3 seasons.
Warriors are 6-1 ATS against Northwest Division opponents this season.
Timberwolves are 9-4 ATS as a home underdog this season.
Projected starting lineup
Warriors:
PG: Steph Curry
SG: Jordan Poole
SF: Klay Thompson
PF: Andrew Wiggins
C: Draymond Green
Timberwolves:
PG: D'Angelo Russell
SG: Anthony Edwards
SF: Jaden McDaniels
PF: Kyle Anderson
C: Rudy Gobert
Injury report
Warriors: Andre Iguodala (hip, out)
Timberwolves: Rudy Gobert (groin, questionable), Karl-Anthony Towns (calf, out)
Warriors: Andre Iguodala (hip, out)
Timberwolves: Rudy Gobert (groin, questionable), Karl-Anthony Towns (calf, out)
Statistical leaders
Warriors:
Points: Steph Curry -- 29.7
Rebounds: Kevon Looney -- 8.6
Assists: Draymond Green -- 6.9
Timberwolves:
Points: Anthony Edwards -- 24.9
Rebounds: Rudy Gobert -- 11.8
Assists: D'Angelo Russell -- 6.3
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this Golden State Warriors - Minnesota Timberwolves prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NBA projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
