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The Raptors visit the Timberwolves on Saturday! The Raptors need to bounce back after a giant loss to the Cavaliers, and then the Timberwolves beat the Kings in their last game to reach .500. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Raptors-Timberwolves prediction and pick.
The Raptors struggled last season after blowing up their main core of players. They started off extremely badly this season with a huge loss to the Cavaliers. They have talent, but they are a very young team and will struggle this season because it will take a bit to gel after all the new pieces they have.
The Timberwolves were a surprise team last season. Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, and Rudy Gobert have the talent to be a tough team this year. They lost their first game against the Lakers but bounced back against the Kings. This year, they are a great team and should make much noise at the Western Conference.
Here are the Raptors-Timberwolves NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Raptors-Timberwolves Odds
Toronto Raptors: +14.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +750
Minnesota Timberwolves: -14.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -1200
Over: 218.5 (-110)
Under: 218.5 (-110)
How To Watch Raptors vs Timberwolves
Time: 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT
TV: TSN/FanDuel Sports Network North
Article Continues Below
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Raptors Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Raptors' offense was awful last season. They were 21st in scoring at 112.4 points per game, 16th in field goal percentage at 47.1% from the field, and 27th in three-point shooting at 34.7% from behind the arc. Nine Raptors averaged over double digits in scoring at any time last year, with RJ Barrett leading at 21.8 points per game. Barrett has not played yet this season, and in his place, Chris Boucher scored the most points in their first game at 18. Three players averaged at least six assists, with Immanuel Quickley leading the way at 6.8 per game. In their first game, Scottie Barnes led in assists at five. RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Scottie Barnes are the keys for this team on offense, and they will make this team go this year.
The defense for the Raptors also struggled last season. They allowed 118.8 points per game, 49.1% from the field, and they were awful against the three-point line, allowing 37.6% from behind the arc. Jakob Poetl has been great down low and led the way in rebounding at 8.6 per game and in blocks at 1.5 per game. In their first game, Poetl had nine rebounds, but Gradey Dick led in blocks at two. Then, Kobi Simmons led the team in steals at 1.5 per game, while Davion Mitchell led them at two in their first game.
Why the Timberwolves Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Timberwolves were not great on offense last season. They were 18th in scoring at 113 points per game, 10th in field goal percentage at 48.5%, and third in three-point percentage at 38.7%. Six different Timberwolves averaged over double digits, with Anthony Edwards leading at 25.9 points per game. Four players are averaging over double digits this season, with Edwards leading through two games at 29.5 per game. Two players averaged at least five assists last year with Anthony Edwards and Mike Conley, and Conley led with 5.9 assists. Julius Randle is the leader in assists through two games, with four assists per game. They need more from their offense than they have shown up to this point.
The Timberwolves' defense was the best in the NBA last year. They were first in scoring defense at 106.5 points per game, first in field goal defense at 45%%, and seventh in three-point defense at 35.4%. Rudy Gobert was the key for the defense last year and led the team in rebounds at 12.9 per game and in blocks at 2.1 per game. Through two games this season, he leads in rebounds at 12.5 per game and is tied for the team lead in blocks with Mike Conley and Jaden McDaniels. Two players averaged at least one steal, with Anthony Edwards leading at 1.3 per game. Rudy Gobert and Donte DiVincenzo are tied through two games for the team lead in steals at one per game. This team lives off their defense and has much potential again because of how well they play defense; it has still been the case this season.
Final Raptors-Timberwolves Prediction & Pick
The Timberwolves are the better team in this game. The Raptors are going to struggle all season long, and their first game was ugly. Expect the Timberwolves to win easily at home. Their defense is still great, and they should dominate in this game against a Raptors team that is not quite there yet with their talent.
Final Raptors-Timberwolves Prediction & Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves +14.5 (-110)
