Minnesota Timberwolves vs. NY Knicks Predictions 1/18/22

Minnesota Timberwolves (21-22 SU, 23-20-0 ATS) vs. New York Knicks (22-22 SU, 21-23-0 ATS)
When: Tuesday January 18 2022, 07:30 PM (ET)
Where: Madison Square Garden: New York, New York
TV: MSG Networks

Point Spread: MIN -1.5/NYK 1.5 (Opened at MIN -1.5 at (BetNow)
Total: 212.5 (Opened at 211.5)
Money Line: Minnesota -135/New York 115)
Power Rating: MIN -2

Probable Starting Lineups

Timberwolves: PG D’Angelo Russell, SG Anthony Edwards, SF Jaden McDaniels, PF Jarred Vanderbilt, C Karl-Anthony Towns
Knicks: PG Immmanuel Quickley, SG RJ Barrett, SF Evan Fournier, PF Julius Randle, C Mitchell Robinson

Key Injuries

Timberwolves Leandro Bolmaro: illness (OUT) Jordan McLaughlin: illness (OUT) Jaylen Nowell: ankle (PROBABLE) McKinley Wright IV: illness (OUT)

Knicks Cam Reddish: ankle (OUT) Kemba Walker: knee (QUESTIONABLE)

Recent Form

The Minnesota Timberwolves enter today’s game, having won five of their past ten games. When playing away from home, the Timberwolves have played at a below .500 rate, having gone 9-12. As the road team, Minnesota travels to New York with a positive plus-minus of 0.1 points. Overall the Timberwolves are ranked 13th among NBA teams in point differential (-5.6) while playing the 14th toughest schedule.

For bettors, taking the Minnesota Timberwolves to cover the spread has been a winning bet as they have covered in 53.50% of their games. Their season-long plus-minus against the spread is 2.1.

On offense, the team’s leading scorer is C Karl-Anthony Towns. So far, Towns is averaging 24.64 points per game, placing him 2nd among NBA centers. Towns is also Minnesota’s top rebounder at 9.31 boards per contest. The Timberwolves’ best three-point shooter has been Anthony Edwards, connecting on 3.27 shots from downtown per game.

The New York Knicks enter today’s game, having won six of their past ten games. When playing at home, the Knicks are winning at a below .500 rate, having gone 11-12. This has come while playing the 4th easiest schedule. As they take on the Timberwolves at home, the Knicks have a negative home plus-minus of -0.6 points. Overall, the Knicks are ranked 16th among NBA teams in point differential (1.7).

For bettors, taking the New York Knicks to cover the spread hasn’t paid off, as they have covered in 47% of their games. Their season-long plus-minus against the spread is -1.7.

On offense, the team’s leading scorer is PF Julius Randle. So far, Randle is averaging 19.07 points per game while grabbing ten rebounds. The Knicks’ best three-point shooter has been Evan Fournier, connecting on 2.69 shots from downtown per game.

An Eye On Pace

The Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks come into this game looking to play at different speeds. So far, the Timberwolves rank 4th in the NBA, averaging 91.7 field goal attempts per game. In the same stat, New York ranks 26th. However, the Knicks have been able to generate free-throw attempts at a higher rate, averaging one free-throw for every four field-goal attempts.

Key Matchups

The key matchup to watch in this game will be how well the Knicks can play on offense. So far, New York is just the 27th ranked scoring offense at 104.2 points per game. On the year, they have been reliant on the three-point shot for success as they are one of the worst teams in points in the paint. However, throughout the year, the Timberwolves are the 6th ranked team in opponent three-point percentage, holding teams to just 33% shooting from outside.

The Historicals

Tonight’s game between the Timberwolves and Knicks will be their second meeting of the season, with New York taking game one by a score of 96-88.

How the Public is betting the Timberwolves vs. Knicks

60% are betting the Timberwolves against the spread.
55% are wagering on the game to go Over the posted total of 214

More Picks: Get Collin’s Detroit at Golden State Predicted Poit Spread Winner >>>

Betting Trends Worth Noting

• Timberwolves are 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine road games vs. a team with a losing home record.
• Timberwolves are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games as a road favorite.
• Knicks are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a straight-up loss.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

In this matchup, look for the Minnesota Timberwolves to come away with a road win that covers the spread. Coming into this game, the Wolves have performed well in areas the Knicks struggle. Look for this to show up most in the Knicks ‘ inability to score efficiently compared to Minnesota’s up-tempo offense.

Prop Bets Worth Wagering

With a player points prop at 20.5 points, I like Julius Randle to surpass this over-under line. Even though the big man has done so in just 43% of his games, Minnesota has struggled to keep teams off the line. With an increased number of free-throw attempts, Randle should be in for a big game.