The Minnesota Timberwolves (45-28) and Dallas Mavericks (24-50) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET from American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The game will broadcast live on FDSN.
The Timberwolves are 7-point favorites over the Mavericks on the spread (Timberwolves -7), with the over/under set at 236.5 total points. Minnesota is a -255 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Dallas is +210 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Timberwolves vs. Mavericks predictions and NBA picks for Monday, March 30.
Timberwolves vs Mavericks Prediction, Pick
- Timberwolves vs Mavericks pick: Timberwolves -7 (-115)
My Mavericks vs. Timberwolves best bet is on Minnesota to cover the spread. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Timberwolves vs Mavericks Odds
| Timberwolves Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7 -106 | 236.5 -106o / -114u | -255 |
| Mavericks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7 -114 | 236.5 -106o / -114u | +210 |
Timberwolves vs Mavericks NBA Preview
With the regular season coming to a close, the Timberwolves still have plenty to play for in their quest for homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Minnesota is currently the fifth seed, two games behind the Nuggets, who are fourth in the conference, and three behind the Lakers, who occupy the third seed.
The Timberwolves also have competition from the Rockets, who share the same record at 45-29.
Saturday's 109-87 home loss to the Pistons certainly didn't aid Minnesota's quest to improve its seeding. However, perhaps the defeat wasn't too unexpected given some of the injuries to their key players.
Anthony Edwards (29.5 PPG), Minnesota's leading scorer, missed the game along with starter Jaden McDaniels (14.8 PPG) and role player Ayo Dosunmu (14.5 PPG).
While McDaniels remains sidelined with a knee injury, the Timberwolves could get a boost with Edwards (knee) and Dosunmu (calf) upgraded to questionable on the latest NBA injury report.
If we turn to the Mavericks, they're coming off a rare 100-93 win over the Trail Blazers. Victories have been few and far between for a Dallas team that's just 24-50 on the year.
The Mavericks are essentially in a race to the bottom with Kyrie Irving and Derek Lively II out for the season. Since trading away an injured Anthony Davis, Dallas has had to rely even more on its rookie Cooper Flagg.
Although Flagg leads the team in scoring with 20.4 points per game, he's having to learn on the job rather than easing into his NBA career.
The Mavericks don't have enough firepower to scare opponents as they rank 26th in Offensive Efficiency at 110.1 — and with Flagg as the Mavericks' only legitimate threat, the Timberwolves will have a plan to slow him down and force his teammates to try and beat them.
Timberwolves vs Mavericks Predictions, Betting Analysis
This spot lines up nicely for the Timberwolves after such a lopsided loss to the Pistons. It also helps if they can get a few of their key players back in action.
It's worth noting that they're facing a Dallas team that last won back-to-back games in late February against the Pacers and Nets, two teams with just 35 wins between them on the year.
Minnesota is in a different league compared to those cellar dwellers, and the Wolves have won each of the three head-to-head meetings against Dallas this season by double digits.
We're currently getting a favorable line, given the injury report, but that number is only likely to rise if Edwards and Dosunmu are confirmed as available. Therefore, lay the 6.5 points while it's still available in the market.
Pick: Timberwolves -7 (-115)
