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The Minnesota Timberwolves will pay a visit to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to take on the Indiana Pacers 3PM ET tip on Sunday. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Timberwolves-Pacers prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.
Minnesota has lost its last two outings, the latest being a 134-122 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bulls. The Timberwolves-Bulls game was close through the first three quarters until Chicago pulled away and blew the game open midway through the fourth. Anthony Edwards scored a team-high 31 points with six rebounds and eight assists for Minnesota, while Karl-Anthony Towns tallied 27 points, eight boards, and eight dimes.
Meanwhile, the Pacers blew a 47-28 first-quarter lead and lost to the surging Cleveland Cavaliers in the first game of the Tyrese Haliburton era in Indianapolis. This loss extends Indiana's losing streak to five games. Haliburton had a promising Pacers debut as he led his squad with 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Buddy Hield also had a solid first game as a Pacer, notching 16 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.
Here is how FanDuel has set the Timberwolves-Pacers NBA odds for this Super Bowl Sunday NBA matchup.
NBA Odds: Timberwolves–Pacers Odds
Minnesota Timberwolves: -6 (-110)
Indiana Pacers: +6 (-110)
Over: 238.5 (-108)
Under: 238.5 (-112)
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Why the Timberwolves could cover the spread
Minnesota has taken a step in the right direction as they hold the 7th seed in the Western Conference with about a third of the season to go. As good as they've been this season, you still really can't tell what version of the Timberwolves you'll get. One night, they'll beat the Sacramento Kings pretty handily, like they did last Tuesday in a 134-114 win. But on the next night, they lost to that same Sacramento squad by 13 points to see their 5-game winning streak come to an end.
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Nonetheless, this team still has three stars to power its offense. Karl-Anthony Towns is an All-Star again, while Anthony Edwards is in the midst of a breakout sophomore campaign.
Minnesota has hung its hat on their improvement defensively this season. However, that has been a concern of theirs over the past month and a half. Minnesota was a top-11 defense in the league through 2021. They have since tapered off to just 21st in defensive rating since the calendar flipped to 2022.
Minnesota has listed Edwards, who has been dealing with a knee injury for quite a while now, as questionable ahead of Sunday's game. Despite this, Edwards hasn't sat out any of the Timberwolves' games since feeling the discomfort on his knee.
The Timberwolves (29-27) have already surpassed their 23-win total from last season. They are 13-17 on the road and are 9-9 against non-conference teams. Minnesota has identical 29-27 records against the spread and on the moneyline. Their over/under record is at 34-22.
Why the Pacers could cover the spread
The Pacers franchise seems rejuvenated after their acquisition of Tyrese Haliburton at the deadline. Many fans were surprised to see the talented point guard get dealt by the Kings. But Indiana has no complaints. In addition to Haliburton, they also brought in Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson in the deal, while shipping out All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis to the Kings.
Unfortunately, the high did not last too long as Cleveland weathered an Indiana 47-point first-quarter barrage. The Cavaliers clawed back and eventually took over the fourth quarter to spoil Haliburton's Pacers debut.
Dating back to the pre-trade deadline, the Pacers have lost five in a row and are likely headed to the lottery for the second straight season. Post-All-Star break should be the time for Indiana to develop its young core as they look ahead to the 2022 NBA draft.
As far as this game is concerned, Indiana won't have rookie Isaiah Jackson available due to a right ankle sprain. He returned from a 3-game absence but re-injured his ankle on Friday against Cleveland. Jackson managed to score 11 points in 12 minutes before leaving the floor. Malcolm Brogdon is listed as questionable as his nagging Achilles issue persists. Meanwhile, Myles Turner (foot), TJ McConnell (wrist), Ricky Rubio (knee), and TJ Warren (foot) continue to recover from their respective injuries.
The Pacers have a 19-38 record, which is the third-worst in the East. Indiana also holds a 13-16 record at home and 11-10 record against the West. They are 25-29 against the spread, 29-26 at the over/under, and 19-18 on the moneyline.
Final Timberwolves–Pacers Prediction & Pick
This is a tough one, since it's hard to expect what you'll get from both teams on a nightly basis. Nonetheless, Indiana should be able to cover this as they may still be on a high with the arrival of their new guys from the trade deadline. The Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd should energize this team as they usher in this new era of Pacers basketball. As we saw in the loss to Cleveland, their is plenty of energy on this team. But it's all about sustaining that energy for 48 minutes. They should be able to adjust after letting that first game pass.
Final Timberwolves–Pacers Prediction & Pick: Pacers: +6 (-110)
