The New York Knicks host the Minnesota Timberwolves in a cross-conference clash on Monday. The Knicks are 42-30 overall after three straight wins, and the Wolves are 35-37 overall this season. Minnesota aims to stop a three-game losing skid and nudge closer to the .500 mark with a victory. Anthony Edwards (ankle) and Rudy Gobert (ankle) are questionable for the Wolves, with Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) ruled out. New York's injury report is clean.
Caesars Sportsbook lists New York as an 8.5-point favorite, and tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 228 in the latest Wolves vs. Knicks odds. Before locking in any Knicks vs. Timberwolves picks, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced 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 four-plus seasons. The model enters Week 23 of the 2022-23 NBA season a stunning 69-36 on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,900. Anyone following it has seen HUGE returns!
Now, the model has set its sights on Knicks 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 betting lines and trends for T'Wolves vs. Knicks:
- Knicks vs. Timberwolves spread: Knicks -8.5
- Knicks vs. Timberwolves over/under: 228 points
- Knicks vs. Timberwolves money line: Knicks -365, Wolves +285
- MINN: The Wolves are 16-19 against the spread in road games
- NYK: The Knicks are 16-17-13 against the spread in home games
- Knicks vs. Timberwolves picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Timberwolves can cover
Minnesota puts pressure on opponents with physicality on offense. The Wolves are in the top five of the NBA in field goal percentage (49.0%) and 2-point percentage (57.2%) this season. Minnesota also lands in the top eight of the league in assists (25.8 per game) and points in the paint (54.5 per game), with a top-10 mark in fast break points (15.0 per game). New York struggles to create havoc on defense, ranking last in the NBA in steals (6.1 per game) and in the bottom five of the league in turnovers created (12.6 per game).
On defense, Minnesota is above-average in giving up only 1.13 points per possession, and the Wolves are highly aggressive. That leads to 15.7 turnovers created and 8.1 steals per game, with Minnesota also blocking 5.5 shots per contest. New York struggles to make shots, shooting only 46.5% from the field, and the Knicks are last in the league with only 22.3 assists per game.
Why the Knicks can cover
New York's offense is rolling this season, and Julius Randle is the centerpiece. Randle is averaging 25.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, and he ups that production to 27.3 points per game since the All-Star break. New York is in the top five of the NBA in offensive rating, scoring 116.2 points per 100 possessions, and the Knicks produce 117.6 points per 100 possessions at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks project to dominate the offensive glass in this matchup, in part because Minnesota is a bottom-five team in the NBA in defensive rebound rate. New York also lands in the top three of the league in offensive rebound rate (31.9%) and second-chance points (16.6 per game). The Knicks take care of the ball with a 13.0% turnover rate in 2022-23, and the Wolves allow more free throw attempts (26.1 per game) on defense than any NBA team.
How to make Timberwolves vs. Knicks picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total, projecting 235 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Knicks vs. Timberwolves? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.