John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon Sport
Toronto Raptors vs Miami Heat: Is Miami a real threat?
The Miami Heat are hosting the Toronto Raptors at Kaseya Center on Friday.
The Timberwolves are having their best season in two decades
The Minnesota Timberwolves are second in the Western Conference with a 55-24 record. They have won four of the last five games and are coming off a xxx-xxx win over the Washington Wizards. The Timberwolves are the best defensive team in the league, allowing 106 points per game and 44.6% shooting from the field. Anthony Edwards is having a breakthrough season, averaging 25.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.
The Nuggets are still the team to beat in the West
The Denver Nuggets are on top of the Western Conference with a 55-24 record. They have won four of the last five games and are coming off a xxx-xxx win over the Utah Jazz. The Nuggets are fourth in the league, shooting 49.5% from the field, and ninth with 37.4% shooting from three-point territory. Nikola Jokic is the front-runner in the MVP race. The Serbian averages 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9 assists per game.
Betting Trends
The Celtics are 15-5 ATS in the last 20 games against the Bucks and 9-1 ATS in the last 10 games played in Milwaukee. The Bucks are 1-6 ATS in the last 7 games overall and 1-5 ATS in the last 6 home games.
Prediction and Conclusion
This is most likely the game that will give us the answer as to which team will go to the playoffs as the top seed from the Western Conference. The Minnesota Timberwolves have a chance to be that team for the first time in more than two decades. They were on top most of the season, but the defending champions have picked up their form lately and know the importance of having a home-court advantage in the playoffs. This will be another interesting matchup between Nikola Jokic and Rudy Gobert, and whoever follows the NBA knows that it is always an epic battle between the European centers. The Nuggets are very solid at home with a 32-8 record, but Minnesota was able to beat them in the first game at Ball Arena this season, and they did that by a decent margin of 111-98. Despite that, the Nuggets are a 6.5-point favorite going into this game, and the Wolves will be able to keep the game close and cover that.
