Sixers vs. Timberwolves Betting Preview (January 29, 2021)

On Friday night, the Sixers and Timberwolves meet for the first time this season. The Sixers (13-6) are the top team in the Eastern Conference, while the visiting Timberwolves (4-13) are the owners of the worst record in the West.

Let’s get into our Sixers-Timberwolves betting preview, including odds, boosts, and picks.

Preview

This game should be a comfortable win for the Sixers, though there’s real potential for the line to move, hence we’d advise staying away from the spread.

The only potential absence of note for Philadelphia is Joel Embiid, who is listed as questionable with back tightness, following a scary fall caused by a Flagrant 1 foul by LeBron James.

On the other side, Minnesota will once again be without star center Karl-Anthony Towns, who remains out following a positive test for COVID-19.

Philadelphia’s huge win over the Lakers on Wednesday night should provide yet another boost for a team that truly appears to be hitting its stride. The Timberwolves are coming off consecutive road losses to the Golden State Warriors, who dispatched Minnesota by a combined 34 points across those two games.

Click here to get 55-1 Super Bowl odds on the Bucs or Chiefs to win at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Sixers vs. Timberwolves Odds

Here’s the line for the Sixers and Timberwolves at DraftKings Sportsbook:

- Spread: Sixers -7, Timberwolves +7
- Moneyline: Sixers -275, Timberwolves +225
- Total: 224.5

And here are the current best available odds for the Sixers (may not display on Google AMP pages):

Bets We Like With a Sixers Win

FiveThirtyEight gives the Sixers a 65% chance of winning with a -4 point line. Philadelphia’s implied win probability based on the moneyline is 70%.

Sixers to Win and Over 224.5 Points (+235, DraftKings)

There are a number of trends, both historical and recent, that make this game lean heavily in the Sixers’ favor in tonight’s matchup with the Timberwolves. Philadelphia has won six consecutive games between the teams dating back to January 3, 2017. The last four games between the teams have seen the Sixers win big:

March 24, 2018: 120-108 (+12 points)
January 15, 2019: 149-107 (+42 points)
March 30, 2019: 118-109 (+9 points)
October 30, 2019: 117-95 (+22 points)

The Sixers are 6-2 in their past eight games, including a massive win over the Los Angeles Lakers, who were the top team in the West at the time, on Wednesday night.

The Timberwolves are 2-13 over their last 15 games and the lack of a star center to combat Joel Embiid in the post would be a massive blow. If Embiid is out, this game has the potential to be a closer game than the teams’ records would indicate.

Either way, there’s reason to believe the over will hit. Philadelphia has seen the total points go over the threshold in four of their past five games, while Minnesota has seen the same in each of their last three games. If Towns is out and Embiid is in, this could be a blowout with a high-scoring fourth quarter.

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Bets We Like Independent of Outcome

Seth Curry Over 16.5 Points and Assists Combined (-105, BetMGM)

To say Seth Curry has been ice cold over the Sixers past two games would be quite the understatement. Despite averaging 14.0 points per game in the month of January, Curry has gone 2-16 from the field over the past two games and 1-10 from beyond the arc over the Sixers’ last three games. Prior to that, Curry shot 14-20 from three-point range in his prior four games. Basketball is a game of averages, where highs and lows eventually offset. There’s reason to believe he’ll bounce back from the field in this one.

Plus, he was excellent in three games against Minnesota a season ago. Curry averaged 18.0 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game over those matchups.

This bet has virtually identical odds to Curry to score over 15.5 points, but gives a bit of latitude by allowing for assists to be factored in as well.

Tobias Harris 2+ Made Threes (-136, FanDuel)

Tobias Harris will be called upon to shoulder more of the scoring load if Joel Embiid is out, which is yet to be confirmed. That said, Harris has been absolutely vital to the Sixers’ success this season, especially in the month of January, where the Sixers are 8-3. Harris is averaging 21.1 points per game this month, including hitting 2.2 3PT on 4.7 3PA per game. He hit 2-4 attempts from deep against the Lakers and hit three three-point attempts in each of his prior three games.

If you want to jump up your potential for a big payout, you can get Harris to hit 3+ threes at +250 at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Sixers vs. Timberwolves Prediction

Pick: The Sixers should win this game regardless of Joel Embiid’s status. We’d advise avoiding the spread due to potential variance, but take the Sixers to Win. Also consider the Seth Curry over 16.5 combined points and assists market.

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