Thursday's NBA slate will conclude with our betting prediction and pick for the third game of this Western Conference season series. The Minnesota Timberwolves (36-23) take on the Los Angeles Clippers (27-30), the series tied at 1-1. Check our NBA odds series for the Timberwolves-Clippers prediction and pick.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are fifth in the Western Conference standings following a 124-121 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. They've won four of their last five games and see a friendly upcoming five games, so expect them to capitalize and mount a winning streak.
The Los Angeles Clippers are tenth in the West, falling 111-109 their last time out against the Orlando Magic. They've split their last 10 games at 5-5 and continue their climb towards a .500 record as the home underdogs once again.
NBA odds courtesy of DraftKings
Timberwolves vs. Clippers Odds
Minnesota Timberwolves: -5.5 (-112)
Los Angeles Clippers : +5.5 (-108)
Over: 225.5 (-110)
Under: 225.5 (-110)
Timberwolves vs. Clippers Key Injuries
Minnesota: No injuries to report.
Los Angeles: Kawhi Leonard (ankle – Questionable) / John Collins (head – Questionable) / Bradley Beal (hip – OUT) / Darius Garland (t0e – OUT)
Timberwolves vs. Clippers Betting Trends
- The Los Angeles Clippers have gone 14-12 at home. The Minnesota Timberwolves are 16-12 on the road.
- The Timberwolves are 32-15 as betting favorites. The Clippers have gone 11-18 as underdogs.
- The Clippers are 29-28 ATS overall, 12-14 ATS at home. The Timberwolves are 25-34 ATS overall, 12-16 ATS on the road.
- The Timberwolves are 8-2 in their last 10 games against the Clippers.
- The Timberwolves are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games.
- The Clippers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games.
- The total has gone OVER in four of Minnesota's last five games.
- The total has gone UNDER in the last five games between these two teams.
Keys to Timberwolves vs. Clippers Matchup
Hosting the first two games of this four-game season series, the Minnesota Timberwolves managed wins of 109-106 and 115-96. Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels served as leading scorers for Minnesota in both outings, but the major storyline here is that the Clippers held large leads and squandered them in both games. The first meeting (12/6/25) saw the Clippers hold an 18-point lead at one juncture. The next game (2/8/26), the Clippers lead by as many as 28 points, just to lose the game by 19 in the end.
Both occasions can be seen as massive defensive collapses for the Clippers and it doesn't seem as though they'll have much more luck without Ivica Zubac on the floor anymore. Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle should be see advantageous matchups in the paint during this game as they've been dominating with their rebounding efforts. Anthony Edwards is also scoring (29.6 PPG) at an MVP level, so expect him to take advantage of the defensive matchup with Kawhi Leonard potentially out.
As the Clippers continue to await the debut of Darius Garland, both veteran Kris Dunn and young talent Bennedict Mathurin have been seeing extended minutes as a result. Mathurin has particularly stepped into a new role, averaging 28.3 PPG over his last three starts. Expect him to continue scoring aggressively if Kawhi Leonard isn't 100% tonight.
Still, the Timberwolves have found a way to win both previous matchups and overcoming such deficits in the process has to be a huge boost for their confidence against this opponent. They're also averaging 122.0 PPG over their last five games and have been hot from the field heading into this one. Jaden McDaniels has been playing particularly well over the last few games, scoring 29 points his last time out in an efficient 12-16 day from the field.
Timberwolves vs. Clippers Prediction and Pick
Both teams have been playing well over this recent stretch, but the Clippers will be the team slightly affected by the injury bug in this one. The loss of Kawhi Leonard could prove costly, but the positive aspect is that Bennedict Mathurin has been able to see extended playing time and has serious improved his scoring. If Leonard sits tonight, expect Mathurin to be the main catalyst for this offense.
However, it doesn't seem as though much will change from previous trends between these two teams, all the more while Minnesota has no significant injuries to report. We should see Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels take charge of the scoring early while Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert dominate on the glass as they have been during these last few games.
For our final prediction, we're going to roll with the Minnesota Timberwolves to win this game despite their recent struggles to cover the spread. I expect their physicality in the paint to be too overwhelming for the Clippers while Edwards carries them in the scoring.
Final Timberwolves-Clippers Prediction & Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves -5.5 (-112); UNDER 225.5 (-110)
