Minnesota Timberwolves vs Toronto Raptors Prediction and Betting Tips | Nov. 21, 2024
The Toronto Raptors will look to drag themselves out of the bottom three when they face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday at the Scotiabank Arena. Their previous meeting earlier this season saw the visitors claim an 112-101 home victory.
Both teams come into this game with different ambitions. The Raptors (3-12) will hope that their 130-119 win over the Pacers could be the building block to a sustained run of form, as they are yet to win back-to-back games this season.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves (8-6), showed improvement after registering back-to-back wins over the weekend. But it appears that there's still a lot of work to be done to get them to their last-season best, with a tough run of games coming up next.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Toronto Raptors preview, betting tips, odds, and prediction
The Timberwolves vs Raptors game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET, and viewers can tune in to the game via SportsNet and FDSN. Fans can also watch the game live on streaming platforms like FuboTV or NBA League Pass.
Moneyline: Timberwolves (-305) vs. Raptors (+245)
Spread: Timberwolves (-7.5) vs. Raptors (+7.5)
Total (O/U): Timberwolves -110 (o226.5) vs. Raptors -110 (u226.5)
Editor's note: The odds could change close to the game. The odds listed are as per available information at the time of writing.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Toronto Raptors preview
The Timberwolves have started the season well despite losing some key figures in trades during the offseason. Their back-to-back wins have reignited some positivity after three consecutive defeats: one to the Miami Heat and two to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Forward Julius Randle is settling well at his new home. He made the perfect impact, scoring the game-winning 3-pointer at the death against the Kevin Durant-less Phoenix Suns. That's just the performance he will have wanted after questions about whether he can handle the step up to championship calibre level and a burden of expectation.
It’s too soon to draw conclusions about whether they can replicate last season’s form, but Chris Finch will ask for consistency in the coming weeks as the season gets tougher. Against a team, who are third from bottom, is a good opportunity for another statement performance.
Meanwhile, the Raptors’ seven-game winless run came to an end at Toronto on Monday, mainly due to RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl. The duo tallied 69 points on an efficient 26-of-39 shooting, more than half of the Raptors' total points in the game.
This game against the Timberwolves is a big opportunity for them to record their first back-to-back of the season and end their two-game homestand on a high before a challenging four-game road trip.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Toronto Raptors Betting Tips
Anthony Edwards comes into the game with an o/u of -104/+105 on points. Rudy Gobert is -102/-114. Jakob Poeltl is -103/-120 on points and rebounds. Keep an eye out on RJ Barrett with an o/u of -120 /-120 on points and rebounds.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Toronto Raptors prediction
It seems to be a good matchup between the two struggling teams for obvious reasons. However, the Timberwolves have shown that they can play well on the road, with a respectable 3-4 record contrasting sharply with the Raptors' 2-5 home record.
Moreover, the visitors have been more tactically organized on both ends of the floor than the Raptors, which could work well for them. So, considering all that, the Wolves should grind out a third consecutive win to improve to 9-6.