The Timberwolves are at the No.7 spot in the Eastern Conference with a 29-26 record. They’ve done well this season against better teams too. Not long ago, they took down the Denver Nuggets and the Brooklyn Nets. They’ll need to recapture that magic as they prepare to face the Bulls tonight. The Bulls come in as favorites, but the Timberwolves have upset teams before.
The Chicago Bulls have lost the top spot in the Eastern Conference. However, they aren’t trailing too far behind the Miami Heat, who are 1.5 games ahead. To retake the conference, the Bulls need to win on Friday night. Unfortunately, they’re facing a team that has beat some of the best teams in the NBA. It’s Chicago versus Minnesota on Friday night. Take a look at our Same game parlay picks for this match up below.
Game Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves at Chicago Bulls
The Minnesota Timberwolves have had some struggles on defense this year. They have the 21st ranked defense in the NBA, even with great defenders like Karl-Anthony Towns. They need to find a way to get in front of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. If they can’t slow down those two, the Timberwolves are in for a long night. Now, let’s take a look at the Chicago Bulls.
The Chicago Bulls have one of the league’s best offenses, averaging 112.0 points per game. This offense will not be their savior against Minnesota, though; they’ll need to play good defense. This is an area where the Bulls have struggled this season, allowing an average of 110.22 points per game. As they take on the Timberwolves, they better be on their A-game.
Against The Spread: Chicago Bulls -4
The Bulls are favorites in this game for a few reasons, one of which is that they’re at home. This season, Chicago has gone 19-8 at home with an ATS home record of 18-9. Another reason is they have two of the best scorers in the NBA. Pair that with the fact that the Timberwolves defense is lackluster and you’ve got the Bulls -4. They’re the best bet on Friday.
The Timberwolves have an excellent record against the Bulls, going 7-3 in their last ten. However, it’s their awful 13-16 road record that has us concerned. They also have a ton of players listed as “questionable” for tonight’s game. If you can’t trust the players to play, you can’t take the team on the road against the spread. The smart bet here is going with the Chicago Bulls -4.
The Total: Under 240.5
Now, all signs point to this game going over, right? The total has gone OVER in seven of Minnesota’s last eight games. Both teams struggle on defense, and two of the leading scorers in the NBA play for Chicago. Most people would see this and immediately take the over. The only problem is how high this over is. Sure, these teams have good offenses, but the total is too high here.
You’d be much better going with the under 240.5 in this game. Minnesota isn’t the only team struggling with injuries. Chicago is still missing players like Lonzo Ball, and Nikola Vucevic is still dealing with a hip injury. Players being sidelined or not playing as many minutes will definitely impact the score. Taking the under 240.5 total here isn’t just a smart bet, it’s a safe one too.