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Cleveland at Minnesota NBA Betting Lines & Expert Pick

Cleveland at Minnesota NBA Betting Lines & Expert Pick

Written by on January 8, 2018

NBA News and Rumors
The Western Conference is shaping up just as we expected, with the Golden State Warriors once again proving to be the class team in that conference. Things are a little more unexpected over in the Eastern Conference, with the Boston Celtics starting to open up a gap at the top. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of how things are playing out in the East has been the performance of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who now find themselves 5 games out of the top spot. We say that it’s surprising, but the Cavs have developed a reputation as a team who at times looks disinterested in the regular season, only to crank it up in the playoffs, despite what the NBA betting lines may say. They will have a little bit of a tricky one this Monday night, as they will be on the road to a Minnesota Timberwolves team that is sitting pretty in the #4 spot in the Western Conference. The Cavaliers have not put together a very good road record this season, so this one is far from being a slam dunk, and could, in fact, prove to be quite the entertaining match-up.

Cavaliers vs. Timberwolves NBA Betting Lines & Expert Pick

  • When: Monday, January 8 at 8 PM EST
  • Where: Target Center, Minneapolis
  • TV: FSOH and FSN
  • Radio: 1100 AM (Cleveland) / 830 AM (Minnesota)
  • Live Stream: NBA League Pass
  • NBA Betting Lines: Minnesota Timberwolves -1 (Point total at 222.5)

Team Records

  • All: Cleveland Cavaliers 26-13 / Minnesota Timberwolves 25-16
  • Home: Cleveland Cavaliers 15-4 / Minnesota Timberwolves 14-6
  • Away: Cleveland Cavaliers 11-9 / Minnesota Timberwolves 11-10
  • As Favorite: Cleveland Cavaliers 21-10 / Minnesota Timberwolves 20-9
  • As Underdog: Cleveland Cavaliers 4-3 / Minnesota Timberwolves 5-7
  • ATS: Cleveland Cavaliers 12-26-1 / Minnesota Timberwolves 18-21-2
  • Over/Under: Cleveland Cavaliers 19-19-1 / Minnesota Timberwolves 20-20-1

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Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)

  • Record: Cleveland Cavaliers lead 7-3
  • Score: Cleveland Cavaliers 106.40 / Minnesota Timberwolves 101.20
  • Field Goal Percentage: Cleveland Cavaliers 45.68 / Minnesota Timberwolves 48.13
  • Rebounds: Cleveland Cavaliers 40.60 / Minnesota Timberwolves 42.50
  • 3 Point Shots: Cleveland Cavaliers 65-185 / Minnesota Timberwolves 96-264
  • Steals: Cleveland Cavaliers 9.40 / Minnesota Timberwolves 8.80

Why consider the Cavaliers NBA Betting Lines?

The question that needs to be asked right now is whether the play of the Cavaliers is just a sign of them being bored of the daily regular season grind, or whether it is, in fact, a sign of a bigger issue. That may well be a question that needs to be shelved until we have seen more of this team with Isaiah Thomas in the line-up. In the two games that he has played since returning from injury, Thomas has averaged 18 PPG, while the team as a whole scored 129 PPG, a massive leap over their current season average of 110 PPG. Thomas missed the game against the Celtics, which ended in defeat, so it may well be a sign that the Cavs are more in tune with him in the line-up. The Cavaliers are just 11-9 on the road this season and have gone 5-5 in their last 10 overall. They are 7-5 against teams from the Western Conference this season.

Team Statistics

Offense
  • Total Score: 110.46
  • Field Goal Percentage: 47.52
  • Three-Point Percentage: 38.02
  • Free Throw Percentage: 80.77
  • Total Rebounds: 41.95
Defense
  • Total Score: 107.72
  • Field Goal Percentage: 46.97
  • Three-Point Percentage: 37.01
  • Free Throw Percentage: 74.23
  • Total Rebounds: 43.13

Why consider the Timberwolves NBA Betting Lines?

The Minnesota Timberwolves are currently occupying the #4 spot in the Western Conference, and also have a 2 ½ game lead over OKC in the Northwest Division. At 25-16, it has been a very good season for the T-wolves thus far, and they have been particularly tough to take down in their own building, where they are currently 14-6 on the season. The Timbervoles are slight favorites at the NBA Betting Lines against the Cavs. They had a bit of a rough week last week, losing 2 of 3, although they did close things out on a positive note with a 116-98 win over the Pelicans. The tough thing here for Minnesota is that they have not been able to beat the Cavaliers for 3 straight seasons, going 0-6 during that stretch. They are 11-11 against teams with winning records this season, so they have been somewhat competitive against the better teams in the NBA thus far.

Team Statistics

Offense
  • Total Score: 107.98
  • Field Goal Percentage: 47.37
  • Three-Point Percentage: 35.21
  • Free Throw Percentage: 79.86
  • Total Rebounds: 41.51
Defense
  • Total Score: 105.20
  • Field Goal Percentage: 47.60
  • Three-Point Percentage: 36.07
  • Free Throw Percentage: 78.24
  • Total Rebounds: 41.20

Latest NBA Betting Trends

  • Cavaliers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games on the road
  • Cavaliers are 19-6 SU in their last 25 games
  • The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland’s last 6 games
  • Timberwolves are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games when playing Cleveland
  • Timberwolves are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games at home
  • The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota’s last 5 games

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

While all signs would seem to point towards another win for the Cavaliers here, I am going to go with the upset. I like the Timberwolves at home against a Cavs team that is very beatable on the road. Score: Cleveland Cavaliers 106 – Minnesota Timberwolves 108
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