MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES VS. ORLANDO MAGIC – ODDS & PREDICTIONS FOR JANUARY 9, 2024

Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Latest Basketball News. One of the games on tap from Tuesday night’s slate features the Minnesota Timberwolves (25-10 SU, 16-18-1 ATS) taking on the Orlando Magic (21-15 SU, 14-21-1 ATS).

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

Tipoff

When: Monday, January 9, 2024 at 7:00 PM ET
Where: Kia Center, Orlando, FL
TV: BSFL and BSN

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Orlando Magic Odds (Via DraftKings)

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Orlando Magic – Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

Can The Timberwolves Turn Things Around Against the Magic?

Minnesota Timberwolves Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 112.9 PPG – 22ND    
• Offensive Efficiency: 114.3 points per 100 possessions – 19TH      
• Scoring Defense: 107.7 PPG – 1ST       
• Defensive Efficiency: 109.0 points per 100 possessions – 1ST 

The Minnesota Timberwolves have the best record in the Western Conference and the second-best record in the association behind the Boston Celtics. However, they come into this matchup with a 5-5 record over their last 10 games, and they have dropped three of their last four decisions. 

This includes a 115-108 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists. Karl Anthony-Towns chipped in with 24 points, seven rebounds, and two blocked shots.

“We could’ve helped ourselves in a lot of different ways throughout the game,” Towns said. “It’s tough to say at the end that’s what hurt us.

“Coach gave us good looks. We got good looks, all of us. Just one of (those) days, it didn’t go down for us when it needed to. We’re a tough group of guys in here. Tough game. We’ll be all right.”

Minnesota shot 43.6 percent from the field and just 31.7 percent from beyond the arc. On the heels of a disappointing showing against Dallas, the Timberwolves are hoping to turn things around against the Magic. 

Can The Magic Extend Their Winning Streak To Three Games?

Orlando Magic Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 113.9 PPG – 19TH   
• Offensive Efficiency: 113.3 points per 100 possessions – 22ND     
• Scoring Defense: 111.9 PPG – 11TH    
• Defensive Efficiency: 111.4 points per 100 possessions – 3RD     

On the other side of this matchup, the Magic are 5-5 across their last 10 outings as well. They have the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference, and they have posted wins in each of their last two games. This includes a 117-110 overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night.

Paolo Banchero paced Orlando with 35 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Banchero’s solid all-around performance was a point of emphasis for head coach Jamahl Mosley.

“He’s a winner,” Mosley said, via CBS Sports. “I’ll probably say the same exact thing every time: He’s a winner. He’s going to find a way to help the team win, whatever that looks like. Finding guys, finding mismatches, defensive assignments, whatever it looks like. This young man is growing more and more each and every single game.”

Caleb Houstan – who is averaging 4.9 PPG this season – chipped in with 25 points and four assists. Despite not shooting the ball particularly well (43.9 percent), the Magic did convert 17 of their 41 attempts from 3-point range (41.5 percent). 

As was the case against the Hawks, Orlando will need multiple players to step up against the league’s top defense.

Now, let us look at the all-important betting trends for both sides.

The Picks

The Spread

The Minnesota Timberwolves opened as a consensus four-point favorite. The line has recently moved to five points for the road team. Here is a look at how both teams have performed against the spread this season.

• The Timberwolves are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games overall.
• Minnesota is 6-14 ATS in its last 20 matchups against Orlando.
• The Timberwolves are 2-4 ATS in their last six road contests. 
• The Magic are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall. 
• Orlando is 13-3 ATS in its last 16 matchups against Western Conference opponents. 
• The Magic are 4-1 ATS in their last five January games.

Based on the above trends, going with the Magic to cover feels like an excellent choice in this matchup.

Prediction: Orlando Magic (+5)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 222.5 points. At the time of this writing, the line has moved to 218.5 points (via pre-game.com). Here is a look at why going with the “OVER” is the smart choice here. 

• The total has gone OVER five times in the Timberwolves’ last six contests.

• The OVER total has prevailed five times in the Magic’s last six matchups against Northwest Division opponents.

• The OVER has cashed in five times in Orlando’s last six Tuesday games.

• The teams have exceeded the points total for this matchup four times in the last five meetings.

Prediction: OVER 218.5 points

Prop Bets

The key player to watch for the road team is Anthony Edwards. He currently has -105 odds of scoring more than 30.5 points and -125 odds of scoring less than 30.5 points. 

• On the season, Edwards is averaging 26.8 points per outing, 
• In 17 road games, he is averaging 24.7 PPG.
• Edwards has played against Eastern Conference teams 10 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 29.9 points per outing.
• During January, Edwards is averaging 32.5 points per game. 
• Over his last 10 outings, he is averaging 31.8 points per outing, and he has exceeded the projected points total six times during that stretch. 

As the trends indicate, going with the “over” for Edwards looks like a good choice here.

Prediction: Anthony Edwards OVER 30.5 points

The key player to watch for the home team is Paolo Banchero. He currently has -115 odds of scoring more than 28.5 points and -115 odds of finishing with less than 28.5 points. Here is a look at how his season splits stack up against his projected scoring total for this matchup. 

• On the season, Banchero is averaging 23.1 points per outing.
• In 17 home games, he is averaging 21.6 PPG.
• Banchero has played against Western Conference teams 12 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 23.3 PPG.
• He has played five times on Tuesday nights this season. His points-per-game average in those contests is 22.0.
• In four matchups against Northwest Division opponents, Banchero is averaging 24.8 points per outing.
• Over his last 10 outings, Banchero is averaging 29.4 PPG, and he has exceeded the projected points total five times over that 10-game stretch.

Going with “under” for Banchero looks like a safe bet based on these trends.

Prediction: Paolo Banchero UNDER 28.5 points

James’s Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Orlando Magic Picks

• The Spread: Magic (+5)
  
• Over/Under: UNDER 218.5 points
• Player Prop Bet #1: Anthony Edwards OVER 30.5 points
• Player Prop Bet#2: Paolo Banchero OVER 24.5 points