The Cleveland Cavaliers look to extend an eight-game home winning streak when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday. The Cavaliers are 19-9 at home and 36-24 overall this season. Minnesota is 32-29 overall and 14-17 on the road. Darius Garland (back), Caris LeVert (foot), and Rajon Rondo (toe) are out for the Cavaliers. Malik Beasley (illness) is listed as probable for the Wolves.
Minnesota is listed as a 3.5-point road favorite for this 7 p.m. ET tipoff. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over-under, is 218.5 in the latest Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers odds, down four points from the opening line. Before making any Cavaliers vs. Timberwolves picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 18 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 69-41 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning almost $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Cavs vs. T’Wolves, and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for T’Wolves vs. Cavs:
Cavaliers vs. Timberwolves spread: Wolves -3.5Cavaliers vs. Timberwolves over-under: 218.5 pointsCavaliers vs. Timberwolves money line: Wolves -160, Cavs +140MINN: The Wolves are 9-12-1 against the spread vs. East opponentsCLE: The Cavaliers are 14-10-1 against the spread vs. West opponents
Featured Game | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Why the Timberwolves can cover
Minnesota is very solid on offense, putting up more than 111 points per 100 possessions, and physicality is a key component of the team’s approach. The Wolves are in the top five of the NBA on the offensive glass, securing 29.2 percent of missed shots and averaging 15.3 second-chance points per game. Minnesota is also in the top 10 in both free-throw attempts (22.1 per game) and fast-break points (14.3 per game), with a top-flight mark in assists (25.1 per game).
On defense, the Wolves also lean on havoc, leading the NBA in turnover creation at 16.4 per game. Minnesota is averaging 8.5 steals and 5.9 blocks per game, ranking in the top six of the league in both categories, and opponents are scoring only 45.1 points per game in the paint against the Wolves. Cleveland is No. 28 in the NBA in ball security, and the Cavaliers struggle at the free-throw line, ranking in the bottom third of the league in free-throw attempts per game and free-throw percentage.
Why the Cavaliers can cover
Cleveland’s defense sets the tone for its success, but the offense has a juicy matchup against Minnesota. The Cavs are in the top six of the NBA in assist rate, producing an assist on 63.8 percent of field goals. Cleveland is also in the top 10 of the NBA in offensive rebound rate at 27.8 percent. The Cavaliers are above-average in points in the paint (47.3 per game), field-goal percentage (46.5 percent) and 2-point percentage (53.7 percent), with Cleveland averaging more than 25 assists per game.
From there, Minnesota is last in the NBA in free-throw prevention on defense, swinging the math toward Cleveland. The Wolves are also in the bottom five of the NBA in second-chance points allowed and assists allowed this season. Cleveland is in the top four of the league in assists allowed and second-chance allowed per game on defense, and the Cavaliers lead the league in free-throw prevention.
How to make Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, projecting 226 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Cavaliers vs. Timberwolves? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
