It will be a huge game for the sake of Western Conference playoff positioning when the Minnesota Timberwolves host the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Minnesota is 44-28, just a half-game ahead of Houston (43-28) for the No. 5 spot in the West; both teams are within striking distance of the third and fourth seeds, as well.
Let’s dive into my Rockets vs. Timberwolves prediction.
Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves odds
Money line: Rockets -126 / Timberwolves +108
Spread: Rockets -1.5 (-112) / Timberwolves +1.5 (-108)
Total: Over 224.5 (-110) / Under 224.5 (-110)
Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves best bet: Timberwolves ML (+108)
As the standings indicate, this feels pretty much like an entirely even matchup. Even though Anthony Edwards is unavailable for Minnesota, Houston does not look like the superior side — certainly not to the extent that it should be favored on the road. Kevin Durant and company are only 18-18 on the road this season compared to 25-10 at home.
The Timberwolves have been getting along just fine without Edwards, too. In the four recent games that he has missed, the T-Wolves are 3-1 straight up. This stretch includes a 10-point victory over the Celtics, too, which pretty much proves that it isn’t a fluke even though the sample size without Edwards is small. Ayo Dosunmu has been picking up the slack bigtime in his star teammate’s absence. Dosunmu has scored at least 18 points in five straight games and is averaging 9.0 rebounds and 7.3 assists over the past three. Give me Minnesota on the money line.