The Minnesota Timberwolves (17-4) will put their league-best record to the test when they go on the road to face the New Orleans Pelicans (12-11) on Monday night. Minnesota has won six consecutive games, including a 127-103 win at Memphis last Friday. New Orleans advanced to the semifinals of the inaugural in-season tournament before losing to the Lakers in blowout fashion last Thursday in Las Vegas. The Pelicans are in third place in the Southwest Division standings, sitting two games back of Dallas for the top spot.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The Pelicans are favored by 3.5 points in the latest Timberwolves vs. Pelicans odds, while the over/under is 222.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Pelicans vs. Timberwolves picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 8 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 97-51 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Pelicans vs. Wolves. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Wolves vs. Pelicans:
- Pelicans vs. Timberwolves spread: Pelicans -3.5
- Pelicans vs. Timberwolves over/under: 222.5 points
- Pelicans vs. Timberwolves money line: Pelicans: -158, Timberwolves: +133
- Pelicans vs. Timberwolves picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Pelicans can cover
New Orleans has had four days to reset from its loss to the Lakers in Las Vegas, and it was without star Zion Williamson and third-leading scorer CJ McCollum in the first two games against Minnesota this season. Williamson is averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, while Brandon Ingram is scoring a team-high 23 points per game. The Pelicans are as healthy as they have been all season, with Matt Ryan and Larry Nance Jr. being the only players on their injury report.
Minnesota has four players on its injury report, with shooting guard Anthony Edwards listed as a game-time decision due to a hip issue, as is defensive ace Jaden McDaniels (ankle). Edwards is the team's leading scorer with 24.4 points per game, so his availability looms large for the Timberwolves. New Orleans has covered the spread in nine of its last 13 games, including seven straight at home. See which team to pick here.
Why the Timberwolves can cover
Minnesota has been the hottest team in the NBA this season, racing out to a league-best 17-4 record. The Timberwolves have won and covered the spread in four of the last five meetings between these teams, including two already this season. They have won six consecutive games after cruising to a 127-103 win against Memphis last Friday, as Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 24 points.
Rudy Gobert had a huge performance as well, posting a double-double with 16 points and 20 rebounds. New Orleans is coming off its worst showing of the season, with its 133-89 loss to the Lakers being just two points shy of the worst loss in franchise history. Williamson scored a season-low 10 points against the Kings last Monday before finishing with just 13 points against the Lakers. See which team to pick here.
How to make Pelicans vs. Timberwolves picks
The model has simulated Timberwolves vs. Pelicans 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
Who wins Pelicans vs. Timberwolves, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see the picks, all from the model that is on an 97-51 roll on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
