Utah Jazz vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction & Match Preview - December 8th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Minnesota Timberwolves will host the Utah Jazz at Target Center on December 8th.
The Utah Jazz will head into this game on the back of a 109-108 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, which sees them remain as the third seed in the Western Conference.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, on the other hand, are coming off a 110-121 loss against the Atlanta Hawks, which saw them fall to 11-13 on the season.
Match Details
Fixture - Utah Jazz vs Minnesota Timberwolves | 2021-22 NBA Season
Date & Time - Wednesday, December 8th, 2021; 8:00 PM ET (Thursday, December 9th, 2021; 6:30 AM IST)
Venue - Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Utah Jazz Preview
The Utah Jazz have had a fairly inconsistent season. Struggling with injuries in their guard rotation early on, the Jazz weren't able to enjoy the regular-season success they had in 2020-21.
But with a healthy roster the Utah Jazz look like the competitive side they are known to be. With Mike Conley running point alongside a duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, the Jazz find themselves at 16-7 on the season.
Donovan Mitchell put up 33.0 PPG, 5.7 APG and 4.3 3PM to lead the @utahjazz to 3-0 and earn the Western Conference Player of the Week honor for Week 7! https://t.co/wwLSupllBH
With their latest win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, the Jazz have solidified their position as the third seed in the West. Finding themselves three games out of the top spot, the stacked Western Conference proves to be a challenge.
But the Utah Jazz seem to have found their rhythm by winning games. Developing a four-game winning streak, the Jazz will continue to have a strong outing in the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves as well.
Key Player - Rudy Gobert
A key player for the Utah Jazz in this matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves will be Rudy Gobert.
The Frenchman started the season off in a spectacular manner. As a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Gobert plays a huge role in anchoring the Utah Jazz' defensive rotations.
I don’t care the Cavs got this ball back and scored—here is your 4x defensive player of the year. @rudygobert27 #TakeNote @utahjazz https://t.co/QFa9EfdHgs
Additionally, Rudy Gobert has been a beast on the rebounding glass. Averaging 14.7 rebounds to match his 14.9 points per game, Gobert's contributions on the rebounding front are a key aspect behind Utah's success.
Coming off a monster performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Rudy Gobert secured 20 rebounds while recording five blocks in the game. Leading the side's defensive effort, the Utah Jazz will look to their big man to put the clamps on Karl-Anthony Towns in their next game as well.
Utah Jazz Predicted Lineup
G - Mike Conley | G - Donovan Mitchell | F - Bojan Bogdanovic | F - Royce O'Neal | C - Rudy Gobert
Minnesota Timberwolves Preview
The MInnesota Timberwolves have seen a difficult start to the month of December. Featuring a major absence from their rotation in the form of Patrick Beverley, the Timberwolves will be further shorthanded with the injury of D'Angelo Russell.
Although Russell's injury has been listed as day-to-day, the Minnesota Timberwolves guard rotation has been significantly cut down. Due to the absence of key players from the rotation, the Timberwolves have also experienced a bit of a losing slide.
Having lost three games in a row, the Minnesota Timberwolves' current record sees them on the brink of falling out of play-in contention.
With an extremely talented young core, the Timberwolves will look to to their remaining star pair of Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns to lead the team to a win at home.
ANTHONY EDWARDS SHOWTIME 🤩 https://t.co/BdZJcChflr
Key Player - Karl-Anthony Towns
The Minnesota Timberwolves will need Karl-Anthony Towns to step up for the side once again.
Towns has been in great shape to start this season. Although there were some concerns regarding an injury after a nasty fall, his availability on the court allows Minnesota to breathe a sigh of relief.
Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the most skilled big men in the league. Pairing his athleticism with his offensive versatility, Towns has also been playing with unseen intensity this season. Leading the offensive charge for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Towns tops the side in scoring and rebounding.
6'11 with guard footwork. https://t.co/D6bE7RLval
Featuring as one of the stars of Minnesota's young core, Karl-Anthony Towns will have to take on the offensive load with Russell potentially missing another game.
Coming off a spectacular performance of 31 points and 16 rebounds, Towns' effort was in vain as the Minnesota Timberwolves came up short against the Atlanta Hawks.
However, Towns will have to continue to be a dominant player in the game against the Jazz. With his key role on the offensive end, Karl-Anthony Towns will also have to establish himself as a force on the rebounding glass against the Jazz' big man.
Minnesota Timberwolves Predicted Lineup
G - Leandro Bolmaro | G - Anthony Edwards | F - Taurean Prince | F - Jarred Vanderbilt | C - Karl-Anthony Towns
Jazz vs Timberwolves Match Predictions
The Utah Jazz should emerge as the winners in this matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Although the Minnesota Timberwolves will enjoy home court advantage, the missing pieces from their roster will see them significantly shorthanded on the guard front.
While also factoring in the form the Utah Jazz are in, the odds seem to be stacked against the Timberwolves. With a dominant starting duo in Mitchell and Gobert, the Jazz' overall offensive and defensive versatility has enough potential to overwhelm the young Timberwolves' side.
Where to watch Jazz vs Timberwolves game?
The game will be locally broadcast on Bally Sports North. The game will also be available on the NBA’s League Pass platform. Fans can also listen to the game on the radio by tuning into 830 WCCO.