Donovan Mitchell and his Cleveland Cavaliers visit an old “friend” in Rudy Gobert and his Minnesota Timberwolves. The Cavaliers are favored per the NBA lines as they look to even the season series with Minnesota. The Wolves won their first meeting in November in a game Mitchell sat out with an injury. Now, it’s Minnesota that misses its star player.
Let’s check the latest NBA odds, stats, injury report and NBA lines for Timberwolves vs Cavaliers. We’ve plenty of NBA betting odds for you to consider.
Cavaliers Conclude Road Trip in Minneapolis
Going 2-2 in their current road trip, the Cavaliers can finish strong by beating the Wolves in Minneapolis. Cleveland is 9-12 as a visitor (8-12-1 against the spread (ATS)) but is favored on the sportsbook anyhow. Being a relatively healthy team helps.
The Cavaliers have wins over Boston and Dallas as a visitor. Cleveland is actually fourth in the NBA in net rating (1.2) among road teams. The Cavaliers maintain their defensive intensity and rebounding prowess and still shoot a solid 47.4% from the field.
Maybe it’s just a bit of bad luck but Cleveland is better than their record indicates. Mitchell could also have extra motivation to light up his old teammate even if they have no ill feelings toward each other. The three-time All-Star is on fire this 2023 and is averaging 37 points on 51.7 percent shooting in his five games this year.
Donovan Mitchell finished with 46 Pts in his return to Utah, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win as the Jazz held on, 116-114.
Spida’s 46 Pts are the 2nd-most in a player’s 1st road game vs their former team, behind only John Williamson, who had 50 Pts at the Pacers in 1978. pic.twitter.com/nRtuOFFWzu
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 11, 2023
Wolves Have It Simpler Without Towns
At first glance, not much changed with Minnesota when their franchise player went down on November 28. The Wolves have gone 11-11 and are 15th in the NBA with an even net rating. They rank 16th in offensive rating and 14th in defensive rating.
Minnesota, which has already had issues adjusting with three big men in the rotation, has it simpler with just Gobert and Naz Reid active. But thus far, the three are negative when it comes to contribution to the floor with the team losing points per the stats.
The Wolves’ best players have been players like Anthony Edwards. He is starting to heat up and is averaging his career bests in most major stats including scoring (23.7 points per game). As for Gobert, he still needs to prove he is a plus for this team. Minnesota is just 17-20 when he plays so the three-time Defensive Player of the Year has his work cut out.
Timberwolves vs Cavaliers Game Injuries
Cavaliers vs Timberwolves Head-to-Head
Minnesota is 6-3 in its last nine games versus Cleveland. The Wolves are, however, 2-6 ATS in its last eight times hosting the Cavaliers. The total has gone over in their last three games against each other.
Cavaliers vs Timberwolves Game Information
- Game: Cavaliers (27-16) vs Timberwolves (21-22)
- Location: Scotiabank Arena, Minneapolis
- Day/Time: Saturday, Jan. 14, 8:07 p.m. ET
- Cavaliers vs Timberwolves Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Cavaliers vs Timberwolves Betting Lines
Cavaliers vs Timberwolves Picks & Prediction
The Cavaliers’ road record makes it hard to bet online on them. They are the better team here but Minnesota matches up well against them. Mitchell could continue to score at will though the loss versus Utah shows that he can’t do it alone. Take the points on Minnesota.
Minnesota is listed at +140 in our Vegas NBA lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Timberwolves, you have a chance to win $140. Cleveland is -160, offering a chance to win $63 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Minnesota a 41.67% chance to win, with the Cavaliers at 61.54%
Timberwolves vs Cavaliers Trends
Timberwolves vs Cavaliers Edge
Timberwolves vs Cavaliers Results
Timberwolves vs Cavaliers Game Summary
Timberwolves vs Cavaliers Previous Game (Nov. 13 2022)
The Cleveland Cavaliers try to keep their perfect home record intact when they face the Minnesota Timberwolves in a matchup of up-and-coming teams on Sunday.
Cleveland has dropped three in a row, all on the road against Pacific Division teams, and is in second place in the Central Division, two games behind the first-place Milwaukee Bucks.
Minnesota is also on a three-game losing streak and sits at the bottom of the Northwest Division standings.
This should be a tight contest. Before you make any wager on the game, make sure to read our NBA betting preview to get all the information you need.
