The Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves are at the Target Center on Wednesday night. The Jazz are on a four-game road trip, which opened in Cleveland on Sunday with a 109-108 win.
Donovan Mitchell was able to outduel Darius Garland with 35 points to his 31 points. Rudy Gay might have the difference off the bench with 15 points, though.
If the Jazz are going to go further in the playoffs, they are going to need an x-factor like Gay to provide a spark. The Jazz are going into Wednesday night with a record of 16-7 for third in the Western Conference.
Stop #2
⏰ 6 PM MT
? @ATTSportsNetRM
? @ZoneSportsNet #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/hVBbWsFtiK— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 8, 2021
They are 3.5 games behind the Golden State Warriors for top honors in the West. That’s great for the Jazz, who haven’t been able to keep pace with the Warriors and Suns, but are still within striking distance.
Even then, the Jazz learned last year that finishing with the top record in the West doesn’t equate to success in the NBA Finals. The Jazz went 52-20 for a one-game advantage on the Suns.
The Timberwolves have shown nice improvement this season, but have some work to do. All Timberwolves’ fans can ask for is improvement with this squad. They go into tonight with a record of 11-13 following a three-game skid.
Minnesota is coming off a 121-110 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. This was after a 115-107 loss to the Wizards and 110-105 to the Nets. At least they showed some good fight against the Nets.
tough one. pic.twitter.com/jfWjlYNP5G
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) December 7, 2021
The Hawks were helped out with the injury to D’Angelo Russell. Russell missed that game and it was evident. Karl-Anthony Towns made his return to the floor, but this team really needs both to have success.
Head below for our free Jazz vs. Timberwolves pick on December 8, 2021.
Utah Jazz vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Odds and Team Statistics:
The following odds are courtesy of BetUS:
| Teams | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah Jazz | -6.5 (-110) | -260 | Over 220 (-110) |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +6.5 (-110) | +220 | Under 220 (-110) |
| Team Data | Utah Jazz | Minnesota Timberwolves |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 16-7 | 11-13 |
| ATS Record | 12-11-0 | 11-13-0 |
| Away/Home Record | 7-3 | 7-7 |
| ATS Away/Home | 5-5-0 | 6-8-0 |
| Points Per Game | 114.0 | 108.0 |
| Points Against Per Game | 104.8 | 107.6 |
| Field Goal % | 47.5 | 42.6 |
| Three Point % | 36.9 | 33.4 |
Jazz vs. Timberwolves Prediction:
D’Angelo Russell may be absent again tonight against the Jazz. Karl-Anthony Towns and Patrick Beverley are expected on the floor, though.
It’s looking really iffy that Russell can go, but they’d have a complete team if he does. They will need him against a Jazz team that is well-rested and ready to run.
The Jazz haven’t played since a 109-108 win on Sunday in Cleveland. There are no excuses for the Jazz to come out slow in this one.
The Jazz should be able to find their way around the Cavaliers’ defense on Wednesday night. They are second in the NBA with 114 points scored per game, and shooting 47.5% from the field for third.
Utah can shoot from all spots on the floor, and are one of the best teams in the league at collecting rebounds.
They are fifth in offensive rebounding and first in defensive rebounding. For a team with KAT, the T-Wolves have to be better on the boards.
Utah Jazz vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Trends:
Utah Jazz
- 8-2 ATS in their previous ten games on two-day rest
- 9-4 ATS in their previous 13 games versus a team with a losing record
- 13-5 ATS in their previous 18 games at the Target Center
- 2-5 ATS in their previous seven games as a favorite
- 1-4 ATS in their previous five games after a win
Timberwolves
- 1-4 ATS in their previous five games after a double-digit loss at the Target Center
- 2-4 ATS in their previous six games
- 5-13 ATS in their previous 18 games versus the Jazz at the Target Center
- OVER is 4-1 in their previous five games as an underdog
- OVER is 5-2 in their previous seven games
Rudy Gobert has a sizable advantage on KAT when it comes to athleticism. If KAT wanted to be one of the best defenders in the NBA, he probably could be with more hard work in the offseason.
I’d put him below average on the defensive floor. He doesn’t care to defend the pick and roll, so teams are able to exploit the Timberwolves with a flat footed KAT on the court.
The Timberwolves are 28th in defensive rebounding. Not the best matchup against the fifth best offensive rebounding team in the league. They are 18th in the NBA with 107.6 points against per game.
This is a different Minnesota team than the past. They will put up a fight and not give in, but can see them having problems versus a well-rested Jazz team tonight.
Especially if Russell can’t start, and it’s looking likely, the Jazz should be able to hack and slash their way to a 10 or 12-point win to cover on Wednesday night.
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