The Indiana Pacers picked up a much-needed win on the road against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, but the team is going to have an even tougher test on Thursday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves and their No. 1 defense.
This is a great matchup since Indiana ranks No. 2 in the NBA in offensive rating, but which side will come out on top?
Minnesota is back in the No. 1 spot in the West – for now – but the team knows it needs a win to stay ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets.
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Let’s break down the odds and my best bet for this matchup on Thursday:
Timberwolves vs. Pacers odds, spread and total
Timberwolves vs. Pacers how to watch
- Date: Thursday, March 7
- Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
- How to watch (TV): Bally Sports Indiana, Bally Sports North
- Timberwolves record: 43-19
- Pacers record: 35-28
Timberwolves vs. Pacers injury reports
Timberwolves injury report
- Jaylen Clark – out
- Jordan McLaughlin – questionable
- Leonard Miller – out
- Karl-Anthony Towns – out
Pacers injury report
- Quenton Jackson – questionable
- Bennedict Mathurin – out
- Doug McDermott – out
- Isaiah Wong – questionable
- Oscar Tshiebwe – questionable
Timberwolves vs. Pacers key players to watch
Minnesota Timberwolves
Anthony Edwards: Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has been up and down as of late, scoring 11 points, 27 points and 13 points in his last three games. Still, he torched the Pacers for 27 points earlier this season in an 18-point win.
Indiana Pacers
Pascal Siakam: This is a tough matchup for Siakam, who is averaging 18.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game since the All-Star break, as he will match up with the likes of Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert in the Minnesota frontcourt. Siakam has scored 20 or more points in five of his last eight games, but he may not get there as easily against the No. 1 defense.
Timberwolves vs. Pacers prediction and pick
It may seem like a crazy play to bet the OVER in a game that features the league’s No. 1 defense, but there are a few reasons why I like it tonight.
In the first meeting between these teams, the Pacers and Wolves combined for 236 points, and Indiana scored just 109, well below the team’s season average.
At home, the Pacers are a much better OVER team, going 20-12 on the OVER in their 32 games this season.
On the other side, Minnesota is 18-13 to the OVER in road games, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see this one be a little high scoring. Indiana loves to push the pace (No. 2 in the league), so I’m expecting this game to mirror the first in terms of the points scored.
Pick: OVER 228 (-110)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.