MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES VS. MILWAUKEE BUCKS ODDS AND PREDICTIONS FOR FEBRUARY 8, 2024

Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Latest Basketball News. One of the games on tap from tonight’s slate features the Minnesota Timberwolves (35-16 SU, 25-25-1 ATS) taking on the Milwaukee Bucks (33-18 SU, 19-32 ATS).

Here is a look at which team has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Tipoff

• When: Thursday, February 8, 2024
  
• Time: 10:00 PM ET
  
• Where: Fiserv Forum
  
• Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  
• TV: BSWI, BSN

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Milwaukee Bucks Odds (Via DraftKings)

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Milwaukee Bucks – Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

Can The Timberwolves Get Back On Track Against The Bucks?

Minnesota Timberwolves Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 113.1 PPG – 22ND           
• Offensive Efficiency: 115.1 points per 100 possessions – 18TH               
• Scoring Defense: 107.1 PPG – 1ST            
• Defensive Efficiency: 109.0 points per 100 possessions – 1ST     

The Minnesota Timberwolves are currently in a three-way tie for the best record in the Western Conference. They have gone 5-5 over their last 10 outings and come into this matchup on the heels of a disappointing 129-123 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night. 

Anthony Edwards paced Minnesota with 38 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. He also connected on five of his nine attempts from beyond the arc. 

Karl Anthony-Towns added 33 points, five rebounds, and nine assists. The Timberwolves big man also recorded seven made three-point field goals. Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Rudy Gobert, contributed 12 points and 16 rebounds. 

Minnesota led by as many as 23 points in the third quarter (74-51), but their top-ranked defense faltered down the stretch. 

“The defense fell apart,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said after the game.” The late-game offense was not great. A couple of key turnovers. Tried to win it all by ourselves at times.

In addition to coughing up such a large lead, the Timberwolves shot just 36.6 percent in the second half, allowing the home team to pull off an improbable win. It will be interesting to see how Minnesota’s defense will hold up against a Bucks team that has the second-highest scoring average in the league. 

Can The Bucks Bounce Back From A 1-4 Road Trip?

Milwaukee Bucks Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 123.3 PPG – 2ND   
• Offensive Efficiency: 120.5 points per 100 possessions – 4TH             
• Scoring Defense: 119.8 PPG – 24TH          
• Defensive Efficiency: 117.0 points per 100 possessions – 19TH       

As was the case with Minnesota, the Bucks come into this contest playing .500 ball across their last 10 decisions, with four of those losses occurring in their last five outings. 

This includes a 114-106 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. Giannis Antetokounmpo spearheaded the Bucks’ scoring attack with 34 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. Malik Beasley added 22 points, six rebounds, and six assists. 

Part of the reason the Bucks came up short in this contest is the fact they had several players out of the lineup. Damian Lillard – the team’s second-leading scorer – is nursing a sprained ankle. Brook Lopez sat out due to personal reasons, and Khris Middleton exited the game in the first quarter with an ankle injury. 

“I thought we fought — hung in there,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said, via ESPN. “You knew at some point, you just felt at some point, we wouldn’t have enough offense on the floor and that’s probably what happened. 

“I thought defensively we were really good tonight.”

The Bucks are just 1-4 since the front office parted ways with Adrian Griffin, and their mettle will be tested against a Timberwolves team looking to bounce back after their poor second-half showing against Chicago. 

Now that we have the preliminary stuff out of the way, let us look at the betting trends for both sides.

The Picks

The Spread

The Bucks come into this matchup as a two-point favorite. The line has recently dipped to one point for the home team (per pre-game.com). Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season. 

• The Timberwolves are 6-13 ATS in their last 13 matchups against Milwaukee. 
• Minnesota is 1-5 ATS in their last six contests against Eastern Conference teams. 
• In their last eight games against Central Division opponents, the Timberwolves are 2-6 against the spread. 
• The Bucks are 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.
• Milwaukee is 0-6 ATS in its last six games against Northwest Division teams.
• In their last 10 Thursday games, the Bucks are 1-9 against the spread. 

Given the above trends, going with the road team to cover a small spread is the best play here.

Prediction: Minnesota Timberwolves (+2)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 229.5 points. At the time of this writing, the line has dipped to 228 points. Here is why going with the “under” is the smart choice. 

• The total has gone UNDER six times in the Timberwolves’ last eight games.
• The UNDER total has cashed in four times in Minnesota’s last five road contests.
• In the Timberwolves’ last seven February games, the UNDER total hit five times.
• In the Bucks’ last five games, the UNDER total won all five times.
• The total has gone UNDER five times in Milwaukee’s last six matchups against Western Conference opponents. 
• The UNDER total has hit six times in the Bucks’ last seven February games.

Prediction: UNDER 228 points

Player Prop Bets

One of the key players to watch for the road team is Anthony Edwards. He currently has -110 odds of scoring more than 27.5 points and -120 odds of finishing with less than 27.5 points.

Here is a glance to see how his numbers compare to the projected points total for this matchup. 

• On the season, Edwards is averaging 25.9 points per outing. 
• In 25 road contests this season, he is averaging 25.6 PPG.
• Edwards has played against Eastern Conference opponents 18 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 27.3 points per outing.
• In three matchups against Central Division opponents, Edwards is averaging 34 points per game.
• Over his last 10 outings, Edwards is averaging 25 PPG, while exceeding the points total for this matchup four times during that stretch.

Going with the “under” for Edwards is the smart choice based on the above trends.

Prediction: Anthony Edwards UNDER 27.5 points

The key player to watch for the home team is Giannis Antetokounmpo. He currently has -105 odds of scoring more than 34.5 points and -125 odds of finishing with less than 34.5 points. 

Let us take a closer look to see how his numbers stack up against the projected points total for this matchup. 

• On the season, Antetokounmpo is averaging 31.3 points per outing.
• In 26 home contests, he is averaging 30 PPG.
• Antetokounmpo has played against Western Conference opponents 15 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 32.5 points per outing.
• In five matchups against Northwest Division teams, Antetokounmpo is averaging 29.4 points per game.
• Over his last 10 outings, Antetokounmpo has averaged 32 points per contest, exceeding the points total for this matchup twice during that stretch.

Prediction: Giannis Antetokounmpo UNDER 33.5 points

James’s Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Milwaukee Bucks Picks

• The Spread: New Orleans Pelicans (+7)
• Over/Under: UNDER 230 points
• Player Prop Bet #1: Anthony Edwards UNDER 27.5 points
• Player Prop Bet #2: Giannis Antetokounmpo UNDER 34.5 points