Consistency Lacking Among Clubs at Betting Window
Bettors are desperately seeking consistency from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat as they meet on Monday.
They have poor against-the-spread records, so there’s a lack of trust. However, there’s time for a change as the likes of Miami’s Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, and Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns take to the floor.
NBA betting lines have the Heat at -4, so they’re expected to win at home.
Let’s check the latest NBA odds, stats, injury reports, and NBA lines for Timberwolves vs Heat. We’ve plenty of NBA betting odds for you to consider.
No Howling for ‘Wolves
The Timberwolves come off consecutive losses to the Mavericks and Celtics, so they need to turn their form around.
Things were going well after four consecutive wins, but not being able to beat the likes of the Mavs and Celtics has been problematic. If they want to compete in the Western Conference, they need to live up to their potential.
Anthony-Towns hasn’t lived up to his, but Minnesota has the makings of a good team. It’s an attitude thing, which has turned bettors off from wanting to play the Timberwolves, who have a dismal ATS record.
They are 13-20 ATS, which is better than the Heat, but it hasn’t been good and we’re hoping they knuckle down to business following Christmas.
If they don’t, bettors who loyally follow them will suffer and it could continue against the Heat. Playing Miami on the road isn’t ideal, but it gives them a chance to score a statement win.
NBA odds have them at +4, having started their last eight games as underdogs.
Heat Cooling Off
Much like the Timberwolves, the Heat scored four consecutive wins before losing their last two.
Miami lost to Chicago and Indiana, with the latest being a one-possession game 111-108. They are 16-17, so they can’t afford close losses, especially to Eastern Conference rivals.
The sportsbook has the Heat at -4, which is a brave line considering their ATS record of 10-21-2. Typically a reliable wager, the Heat are cold after failing to cover the spread in eight of their last 10 games.
The problem has been scoring and producing fewer than 112 points in their last five games isn’t good enough. Many teams have been averaging higher totals in 2022, but the Heat have to rely too much on their defense.
They scored 103 and 108 points in their last two losses ahead of their meeting with the Timberwolves, who scored 150 points against the Bulls earlier this month.
Not having a healthy Jimmy Butler hasn’t helped their cause.
“My luck’s not the greatest right now,” Butler said. “You’ve got to take it in stride, man. It’s part of this game, part of this league. But I’ll be back.”
Timberwolves vs Heat Game Injuries
Timberwolves vs Heat Head-to-Head
Miami covered the spread in the most recent meeting last month, but lost 105-101.
The Heat have a 3-6-1 ATS record in their last 10 games against the Wolves, and 1-3 at home.
If the Heat are to cover the -4 spread, they’ll need to defy the statistics.
Timberwolves vs Heat Game Information
- Game: Timberwolves (16-17) vs Heat (16-17)
- Day/Time: Monday, Dec. 26, 7.30 p.m. ET
- Location: FTX Arena, Miami
- Timberwolves vs Heat Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Timberwolves vs Heat Betting Lines
Timberwolves vs Heat Picks & Prediction
We don’t have enough faith in the Heat to cover a spread, so we’re taking the Timberwolves to keep it close.
There is a lot of natural talent on the Timberwolves’ roster, but they just need some heart. Scoring a win over the Heat could be enough to turn the tide.
Take them to cover the spread and win outright.
The Miami Heat are listed at -150 in our Vegas NBA lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Heat, you have a chance to win $67. The Minnesota Timberwolves are +130, offering a chance to win $130 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Miami Heat a 60.00% chance to win, with Minnesota Timberwolves at 43.48%.
