The Dallas Mavericks head to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Thursday night at 8:00 PM ET. Can the Timberwolves cover the 9.5-point spread as home favorites? Keep reading for our Mavericks vs. Timberwolves betting prediction.
The Dallas Mavericks are 18-13 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 16-15 ATS this season.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are 22-7 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 15-12-2 ATS this season.
Mavericks vs. Timberwolves Matchup & Betting Odds
533 Dallas Mavericks (+9.5) at 534 Minnesota Timberwolves (-9.5); o/u 228.5
8:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, December 28, 2023
Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Mavericks vs. Timberwolves Public Betting Information
Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 50% of public bettors are currently backing the Timberwolves when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Dallas Mavericks Daily Fantasy Spin
Mavericks power forward Maxi Kleber won’t play against the Timberwolves on Thursday night. He is recovering from a right small toe dislocation. Kleber is averaging 3.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in 18.0 minutes per contest this season.
Dallas point guard Kyrie Irving won’t be available on Thursday night either. He’s nursing a right heel contusion. Irving is second on the club in scoring with 23.0 points per game and second on the team in assists with 5.2 dimes per game this year.
Minnesota Timberwolves Daily Fantasy Spin
Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns is officially listed as questionable for Thursday’s game with left knee soreness. It’s worth noting that Towns was listed as questionable ahead of his club’s game on Tuesday against the Thunder, and he played 29 minutes in that contest, logging 16 points and 6 rebounds against Oklahoma City on the road.
His efforts weren’t enough as Minnesota fell 129-106 in that game. If Towns is unable to play, a combination of Naz Reid and Kyle Anderson should both absorb some of his minutes. Reid is averaging 12.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this season.
Mavericks vs. Timberwolves NBA Betting Trends
Dallas is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games against Minnesota.
Dallas is 2-5 ATS as a road underdog this season.
Minnesota is 6-3-2 ATS as a home favorite this season.
Minnesota is 7-2-1 ATS with the rest advantage this season.
Mavericks vs. Timberwolves NBA Prediction:
The big story of this game will be the injury status of Luka Doncic. Doncic was listed as questionable with quadricep soreness ahead of his team’s home tilt with Cleveland on Wednesday. He ended up playing 37 minutes and put up 39 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in that contest. The Mavericks faded in the fourth quarter, however, and ended up losing to the Cavaliers 113-110. Doncic is not currently listed on the injury report, but it wouldn’t be a shock if he sat out his team’s game at Minnesota on Thursday, due to it being the second night of a back-to-back.
The Timberwolves might be a bad matchup for the Mavericks regardless. In these two teams’ first meeting this season, Minnesota dominated Dallas on the road 119-101 to earn the victory at the American Airlines Center. The Timberwolves are shooting 37.9% from deep this season, which ranks 7th in the league, and they have an average scoring margin of +11.9 points at home on the campaign. That latter figure ranks third in the NBA. And finally, Minnesota is 8-3-2 ATS at home this year, which is the fourth-best mark in the league. I like the Wolves to win this contest by double digits at the Target Center on Thursday night.