Two playoff-hopeful teams sitting next to each other in the Western Conference standings will go head-to-head in Friday night’s Minnesota Timberwolves vs Houston Rockets matchup. This will be the fourth meeting between the teams, with Houston having taken two of the first three.
Here’s a preview of the Minnesota Timberwolves vs Houston Rockets game, scheduled to tip off at 9:30 p.m. ET at Toyota Center in Houston.
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Minnesota Timberwolves vs Houston Rockets Prediction, Preview and Odds
Moneyline: Timberwolves (+140) vs Rockets (-166)
Spread: Timberwolves +3.5 (-110) vs Rockets -3.5 (-110)
Total (O/U): Timberwolves o216.5 (-110) vs Rockets u216.5 (-110)
Editor’s note: The odds could change close to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Houston Rockets preview
This matchup could serve as a first-round playoff preview in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves currently hold the seventh spot in the West at 34-31, trailing the fourth-seeded Rockets by just 3.5 games. Houston, which once sat as high as No. 2, has slipped after dropping seven of its last nine games.
Minnesota is coming off a dominant 15-point win over the West-leading OKC Thunder, snapping a two-game losing streak. While the Wolves were quiet at the trade deadline, a major storyline from the past weekend was Anthony Edwards missing the All-Star Game due to groin tightness.
Meanwhile, the Rockets are enduring their worst stretch of the season, losing seven of their last nine, including a recent loss to the Timberwolves. Their offense has struggled without Fred VanVleet, who remains out for tonight’s game.
Over this nine-game slump, Houston ranked bottom-10 in the league in offense, shooting just 42.7%, which is the second-worst mark in the NBA — only ahead of the Charlotte Hornets.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Houston Rockets predicted starting lineups
For the Minnesota Timberwolves, Donte DiVincenzo (toe) and Julius Randle (groin) remain out. Anthony Edwards (groin), Mike Conley (finger) and Rudy Gobert (back) are all listed as questionable.
The Houston Rockets will be without Fred VanVleet (ankle) and Cody Zeller (personal), while Tari Eason is listed as day-to-day with a leg injury.
Timberwolves
G – Mike Conley | G – Nickeil Alexander-Walker | F – Jayden McDaniels | F – Jaylen Clark | C – Rudy Gobert
Rockets
G – Jalen Green | G – Aaron Holiday | F – Dillon Brooks | F – Amen Thompson | C – Alperen Sengun
Editor’s note: These are the predicted lineups and could change based on the availability of players.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Houston Rockets betting props
- Jalen Green O/U: 21.5 points. Bet the over, as he’s expected to carry a bigger scoring load tonight.
- Alperen Sengun O/U: 22.5 points. Bet the over, with him likely to play aggressively.
- Rudy Gobert O/U: 13.5 points. Bet the under, as the Rockets will likely focus on limiting interior scoring.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Houston Rockets prediction
We’re backing the Houston Rockets to come out of the All-Star break energized and ready to showcase their stifling defense once again. Expect them to cover the spread and win by double digits.
Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro
