Timberwolves vs 76ers Odds: One Big Man To Rule Them All
Joel Embiid Leads Philadelphia Against Minnesota’s Twin Towers
NBA Odds Have Philly Favored at Home Versus Minny
We have a battle of titans this Wednesday night when the top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Philadelphia 76ers. Minnesota pits its big-man tandem of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns against the reigning MVP, Joel Embiid. The Timberwolves vs 76ers odds show Philadelphia as a 3.5-point favorite. But Minnesota is 3-3 as an underdog and 9-4 as a visitor. It may come down to which big men can assert their will.
Timberwolves vs 76ers 
Records: Minnesota Timberwolves (20-5), Philadelphia 76ers (18-8)
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Day/Time:
Streaming: Prime Video
Gobert, Towns, or Naz Reid? Which Timberwolves Big Man Steps Up
Minnesota will have to contain Embiid if it hopes to upset the Timberwolves vs 76ers odds. Minnesota is just 4-14 against the spread (ATS) in its last 18 games against Philadelphia. But this is the best Wolves team to face Embiid’s 76ers. And among their trio of big men, who can step up?
Gobert is the team’s center. He’s a defensive force as a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. In nine games against Embiid, Gobert has “held” the superstar to 25.9 points and 11.3 rebounds while shooting 45.5% from the field. In two games with Minnesota, Embiid scored 32+ points. Embiid won five of these games.
As for Towns, he’s the offense to Gobert’s defense. Embiid has consistently lit up Towns, averaging 26.4 points and shooting over 50% in six of their last eight meetings. In 2019, the two were even involved in an altercation on the court. Most notably, Embiid won seven of the 10 meetings with Towns.
Reid is a wild card here as he comes off the bench. He averages 13.6 points and 4.6 boards and is known for his versatility on offense. But on defense, he is likely to get cooked by Embiid.
It’s unlikely the trio can hold Embiid to below his averages. Embiid has scored 30+ points in all but five games he’s played. And when he did not hit that mark, Philadelphia still went 3-2. It may fall on the rest of the team to contain Embiid’s supporting cast. That’s who Minnesota delivers as an NBA picks today.
76ers Offense is Nigh-Unstoppable With Embiid
Nick Nurse turned a potent 76ers offense into a juggernaut this season. The 76ers average the best offensive rating (122.4) and net rating (+11.3) in the league. This team hit the 120-point mark in 14 of its 26 games. So it’s unsurprising to see the team’s over/under records: 65.4% of its games have gone over (17-9-0).
While the Timberwolves vs 76ers odds have the total at just 225 points, it accounts for Minnesota’s top-notch defense. The Wolves allow just 111.4 points on the road. Still, nine of their 13 road games have also exceeded their totals. So, given the relatively low totals, betting ‘over’ could be a wise play.
The total was only 211 points when these teams last met. Minnesota shut Philadelphia down 112-99, which is the fewest points the 76ers scored. Of course, Embiid did not play and this was Philadelphia playing in Minnesota without rest and after going to overtime with Cleveland in an In-Season tournament game.
With a more regular Philadelphia 76ers schedule, we can expect the team to be more of the same: scoring 125 points at home, on average. This is also Philadelphia coming off a dreadful defeat to Chicago, where the team, outside of Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, took the night off.
“Our spacing wasn’t right,” said Embiid after the loss. “I think we kinda forgot our fundamentals, but that happens. We’ve been on a roll, and I think tonight, a lot of it also has to do with not making shots for really the first three quarters.”
We’re willing to bet that Philadelphia will not be held to 104 points on 43.2% shooting again. And not against an upstart Timberwolves team, which Embiid has a history against.
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