West-Leading T’Wolves Climbing NBA Oddsboards, Face Magic
Timberwolves vs Magic NBA Match Odds: Orlando 8-2 ATS in Last 10
Looking to maintain their stay atop the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves will visit the Orlando Magic on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET) for the third leg of their four-game road trip. Minnesota opened as a 4-point favorite with -115 odds. Meanwhile, the projected total is 221.5.
What can bettors expect? Read on as we break down both NBA teams and assess the Timberwolves vs Magic NBA match odds.
Timberwolves vs Magic 
Day/Time:
Location: Kia Center; Orlando, Fla.
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
Timberwolves vs Magic Betting Trends
The Minnesota Timberwolves are 16-18-1 ATS, including just 8-11 away from home. The Timberwolves are also 18-16-1 against the Over/Under, having gone Under the total in 12 of their 19 road NBA games. Conversely, the Orlando Magic are 25-11 ATS. Orlando’s 69.4% cover rate is the second highest in the NBA. It’s 17-18-1 against the Over/Under.
That’s important to remember when analyzing the Timberwolves vs Magic NBA match odds.
T’Wolves Surge Atop West
Are the Timberwolves for real? Nearing the halfway point of the regular season, the Wolverines remain atop the Western Conference at 25-10 and own the second-best winning percentage in the NBA (.714) behind the 28-7 Celtics.
Oddsmakers have reacted accordingly to Minnesota’s NBA results, boosting its NBA title odds from +6600 to +2000. The Timberwolves are one of seven teams with 20/1 odds or better. They’re also +900 to win the West but remain a tad behind defending champion Denver on the Northwest Division oddsboard, coming in at +185.
There’s a lot working in Minnesota’s favor. For one, it has a legitimate No. 1 scorer in Anthony Edwards. Now in his fourth NBA season, the former top overall pick is averaging career highs in points (26.8), shooting percentage (46.2), 3-point percentage (38.9) and assists (5.0). The Timberwolves also have a dominant frontcourt thanks to Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, the NBA’s third-leading rebounder (12.0 RPG). The trio has accounted for 53.8% of the Timberwolves’ scoring.
Minnesota has been the NBA’s toughest defensive team, allowing a league-low 107.7 points per game. The 7-foot-1 Gobert, a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, has had a big hand in that success. The Timberwolves also have the fifth best points differential at plus-5.2.
That said, bettors may need to tread carefully. Minnesota has failed to cover in six of its last seven games and eight of the previous 10. When favored, the Timberwolves are 21-5 OU but just 12-14 ATS. Be sure to keep that in mind when assessing the Timberwolves vs Magic NBA match odds.
Banchero Fueling Magic’s Resurgence
The Orlando Magic have been among the NBA’s most pleasant surprises. At 21-15, the Magic sit fourth in the Eastern Conference and are on track to blow past their projected regular-season win total of 37.5. Barring a collapse, they’re bound to break their three-year postseason drought.
Despite the Magic’s fast start, oddsmakers still aren’t buying them as a legitimate contender. The Magic own the eighth-best Eastern Conference title odds at +5000 and are a +15000 to win the NBA title.
After salvaging their four-game West Coast trip with a 122-120 upset of Denver, the Magic returned home on Sunday to beat Atlanta 117-110 in overtime. Reigning Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero scored 35 points to go with 10 rebounds and is averaging 34.3 points in four games this month. He notched his first career triple-double (32 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) in the victory over the Nuggets.
Orlando has also been stingy defensively, ranking just outside the top 10 in opponents scoring (111.9). The Magic are 13th in point differential (plus-1.9).
The Magic have covered in three straight games and are 8-2 ATS over their last 10. They’ve also gone Over the total in three of their last four. Orlando has fared especially well as an underdog, going 16-8 ATS compared to 11-13 OU.
Handicapping the Game
Orlando’s been impressive, but NBA injuries are starting to pile up. Wendell Carter Jr. (knee) and Jonathan Isaac (hamstring) are both questionable for Tuesday’s game while Franz Wagner (ankle), the Magic’s second-leading scorer at 20.9 points per game, is out indefinitely.
Those absences have put extra responsibility on Banchero. While he’s been up to task, it remains to be seen whether those injuries will begin to catch up to Orlando.
Minnesota’s dropped three of its last four and will be on the front end of a back-to-back, with a trip to Boston awaiting on Wednesday. The Timberwolves have fared well on the road (11-8) to this point, so the fact this game is in Orlando shouldn’t be too big of an obstacle.
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