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Timberwolves at Clippers Game Preview, Odds, Picks & Predictions

Visitors on Three-Game Slide

The Minnesota Timberwolves try to snap a three-game losing streak when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. The contest is scheduled for a 10:30 p.m. ET opening tip at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Minnesota just played in the same venue on Sunday night, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers 108-103. The Timberwolves are 16-20 and in third place in the Northwest Division, three games behind the second-place Denver Nuggets and 2½ games ahead of the fourth-place Portland Trail Blazers.

Timberwolves vs Clippers Game preview, Odds, Picks & Predictions
timberwolves-vs-clippers

The Clippers return home after opening the 2022 calendar year with a road victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. Los Angeles is 19-18 and in third place in the Pacific Division, trailing the second-place Phoenix Suns by 9½ games and leading the fourth-place Lakers by a half-game.

The NBA lines for this contest have the Clippers as 3½-point favorites at home, with the over/under set at 215 points. If you want to bet online on the moneyline, you can get Los Angeles at -165 and Minnesota at +145.

Also check on these NBA betting lines.

Clippers Return Back Home vs Timberwolves

Playing Short-handed

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been struggling as they have some of their most important players sidelined due to the league’s health and safety protocols. Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell, the team’s top and third-leading scorers, respectively, are both expected to be out for Monday’s game.

Guard Anthony Edwards returned on Friday against the tah UJazz after missing over two weeks due to protocols and has averaged 22.0 points in his two games back. Edwards is averaging 22.1 points to rank second on the Timberwolves and will be expected to carry more of the load until Towns and Russell can come back.

Center Naz Reid had 23 points and 11 rebounds in Sunday’s loss, the first 20-point, 10-rebound effort of his NBA career. He’s getting a majority of the minutes in the pivot with Towns out.

Guard Patrick Beverley gets another matchup with his former team, having played for the Clippers for four seasons before getting traded in the offseason. Beverley is averaging 8.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists.

Staying Afloat

The Clippers pulled off one of the bigger upsets of the season on Saturday, topping the home-standing Nets despite not having Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Nicolas Batum, Ivica Zubac, Luke Kennard and Marcus Morris Sr. Even coach Tyronn Lue was out in health and safety protocols, leaving assistant Brian Shaw to run the show from the bench.

“It just shows our grit, it just shows what we’ve been through the last year and a half in terms of our next-man-up mentality, and it just shows what we’re capable of, really,” guard Terance Mann said after Saturday’s win.

Mann and Reggie Jackson had 19 points apiece and Eric Bledsoe scored a season-high 27 as the Clippers used a four-guard lineup around center Serge Ibaka to start the contest. Each of the four guards — Jackson, Bledsoe, Mann and Amir Coffey — hit at least three 3-pointers.

That kind of perimeter attack should be expected in this contest as well. Morris should be back as after a rest day on Saturday, but the Los Angeles front line is still depleted.

Jackson is averaging 17.2 points to rank second on the team in scoring while Morris is contributing 15.4 points and 5.2 rebounds, both highs in his three-year tenure with the team. Mann is a dangerous scorer when he gets hot, though he’s averaging just 10.7 points.

Clippers Win Close One

Neither of these teams is anywhere close to full strength, but the Clippers have more depth and are playing at home. The guard play of Los Angeles should push it to another victory, though this one is going to go down to the wire.

When making your NBA bets, take the Timberwolves to cover in a close affair.

Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves +3½

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