The Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves will meet in a play-in game for the seventh seed on Tuesday night in Minneapolis. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Clippers-Timberwolves prediction and pick.

 

The Clippers ended the season with five wins in a row to cement the eighth seed. Now, they must play a pivotal game against the Timberwolves to guarantee a first-round showdown. Amazingly, the Clippers have played well this season despite the absence of Kawhi Leonard. He is still recovering from an ACL tear. Additionally, the Clippers endured a sizable absence from Paul George, while Norman Powell just returned from his own lengthy injury absence after he was acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers. Luckily, the Clippers have a deep team and stayed afloat. Now, they will look to take down Minnesota. If the Clippers win, they will face the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.

The Timberwolves had a spectacular season. However, they stumbled down the stretch, going 4-6 over the final 10 games. Now, Minnesota needs to regroup and battle a Clippers team that has given them fits. Los Angeles took the season series three games to one. However, all three wins occurred in November. Moreover, the two teams are a lot different than they were at that time. Karl-Anthony Towns is their scoring leader at 24.6 points per game. Additionally, Anthony Edwards has been a sensational scoring option, putting up 21.3 points per game. Lastly, D'Angelo Russell is the key playmaker at point guard. He notched 18.1 points and 7.1 assists per game in the regular season. Minnesota needs him on Tuesday.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Clippers-Timberwolves odds.

NBA Odds: Clippers-Timberwolves Odds

Clippers: +3.5 (-114)

Timberwolves: -3.5 (-106)

Over: 230 (-110)

Under: 230 (-110)

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Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread

The Clippers are playoff veterans. This will be their fourth playoff appearance in a row. Also, it will be the 10th time in 11 years the Clippers have played after the end of the regular season. The experience gives them an edge that Minnesota does not have. More importantly, they have George. He leads the Clippers in scoring with 24.3 points per game. Powell has been dynamic when healthy, averaging 21.4 points in five games for LA. Additionally, Jackson put up 16.8 points per game. The Clippers have a plethora of scoring options that could strike any night.

Zubac controls the boards with 8.5 rebounds per game. Additionally, he plays defense efficiently, averaging one block a game. The Clippers will need him to stop KAT. In one win over Minnesota, Los Angeles held Towns to eight points. Moreover, he could not hit his shots, shooting 3-of-11 from the field. Also, he shot 6-of-16 in the first game the teams played. Containing Towns will be a priority.

The Clippers will cover the spread if George plays to his potential. In addition to George, the plethora of scorers around him will need to maintain their consistency. Also, the Clippers must win the battle on the boards to ensure victory. The Clippers rank 18th in rebounds while the Timberwolves rank 15th. Finally, the Clippers need scoring off the bench. This game could come down to which team's bench succeeds more.

Why The Timberwolves Could Cover The Spread

The Timberwolves have struggled recently. Also, they have endured injuries. Russell missed some games this past week with an injury and an illness. Minnesota needs its top distributor on the floor to have a chance against the Clippers. Also, they need Towns to dominate.

Towns and Edwards need to succeed for the Wolves to have a chance. When both players excel, Minnesota controls the pace of the game. The rest of the starters need to chip in and help these two. In one of the losses to the Clippers, the three starters after Towns and Edwards combined for 15 points. That must change if the Wolves are to defeat the Clippers and advance. Likewise, the bench needs to soar again. Minnesota needs contributions from the likes of Jaden McDaniels and Taurean Prince off the bench to relieve the pressure on Towns, Edwards, Russell, and the rest of the starters.

The Wolves will cover the spread if their stars go off against a tough Clippers defense. Additionally, they need to build a lead, and that begins with the starters contributing. Lastly, the bench needs to excel and keep the Clippers at bay.

Final Clippers-Timberwolves Prediction & Pick

The Clippers are the experienced team, while the Wolves are the new kids on the block. Thus, it seems too difficult to fathom that Minnesota will suddenly find its groove after stumbling over the past couple of weeks. The Clippers will cover the spread and might even earn a date with the Grizzlies.

Final Clippers-Timberwolves Prediction & Pick: Clippers +3.5 (-114)