Talented young teams meet up in a cross-conference battle on Monday when the Minnesota Timberwolves travel to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs are currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings at 36-24. Minnesota is holding down the No. 7 spot in the West with a 32-29 overall mark. Already without Collin Sexton (knee) for the season, the Cavs are thin in the backcourt as Darius Garland (back), Caris LeVert (foot) and Rajon Rondo (toe) are out for this one.
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse will host this 7 p.m. ET tipoff. Caesars Sportsbook lists Minnesota as the three-point favorite in the latest Cavaliers vs. Timberwolves odds. The over-under for total points is set at 218. Before locking in any Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 19 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 71-44 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning over $2,100. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Cavs vs. T'Wolves, and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for T'Wolves vs. Cavs:
- Cavaliers vs. Timberwolves spread: Wolves -3
- Cavaliers vs. Timberwolves over-under: 218 points
- Cavaliers vs. Timberwolves money line: Wolves -160, Cavs +140
- MINN: The Wolves are 9-12-1 against the spread vs. East opponents
- CLE: The Cavaliers are 14-10-1 against the spread vs. West opponents
Why the Timberwolves can cover
Minnesota is very solid on offense, putting up more than 111 points per 100 possessions, and physicality is a key component of the team's approach. The Wolves are in the top five of the NBA on the offensive glass, securing 29.2 percent of missed shots and averaging 15.3 second-chance points per game. Minnesota is also in the top 10 in both free-throw attempts (22.1 per game) and fast-break points (14.3 per game), with a top-flight mark in assists (25.1 per game).
On defense, the Wolves also lean on havoc, leading the NBA in turnover creation at 16.4 per game. Minnesota is averaging 8.5 steals and 5.9 blocks per game, ranking in the top six of the league in both categories, and opponents are scoring only 45.1 points per game in the paint against the Wolves. Cleveland is No. 28 in the NBA in ball security, and the Cavaliers struggle at the free-throw line, ranking in the bottom third of the league in free-throw attempts per game and free-throw percentage.
Why the Cavaliers can cover
The Cavs have been a great bet at home, posting a 63 percent cover rate at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. That goes up to 70 percent when just looking at games where they've been home underdogs, as they are on Monday. They also had no problem handling the Timberwolves the first time around, winning 123-106 when these teams met in Minnesota on Dec. 10. Cleveland easily covered the 1.5-point spread in that one.
Though they are missing several key pieces in the backcourt, the Cavs still have one of the best groups of big men in the league. Center Jarrett Allen averages 16.1 points and 11 rebounds. Rookie of the Year candidate Evan Mobley averages 14.8 points and 8.1 boards, while veterans Lauri Markkanen (14 ppg) and Kevin Love (13.9 ppg) are also solid contributors.
How to make Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 225 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Cavaliers vs. Timberwolves? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
