Timberwolves vs. Clippers: betting predictions and odds for Mar. 12

 (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

Today, there's an epic showdown that will feature the  Minnesota Timberwolves (44-21, 21-13 on the road) and the Los Angeles Clippers (41-22, 22-9 at home). The game, scheduled for broadcast on TNT, will take place in Los Angeles, marking the teams fourth and final regular-season meeting. With the Timberwolves ahead 2-1 in the series, this game is high anticipated by bettors and fans as both teams lead the Western Conference.

Having won only two out of their last five games, the Minnesota Timberwolves are coming off a 120-109 defeat against the Los Angeles Lakers, a game in which center Rudy Gobert was sidelined due to injury. Currently, amid a six-game road trip, the Timberwolves will be playing their third game in five days.

Despite the absence of big man Karl-Anthony Towns due to a knee injury, center Naz Reid has stepped up admirably in his place.

Currently the no. 3 in the Western Conference standings, Minnesota is trailing the Oklahoma City Thunder by 1.5 games, with the Thunder emerging as the team to watch out for. With the playoffs right around the corner, it's a dogfight in the west.

The Clippers are favored by a 6.5-point spread as they head into the game, having won three out of their last five matchups. Positioned at No. 4 in the Western Conference standings, LA is wrapping up their three-game home stand tonight.

Despite being short-handed, the Clippers suffered a heartbreaking loss in their latest game against the Milwaukee Bucks, with a final score of 124-117.

Missing key players Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers were at a disadvantage despite playing at home. This game marks their third in four days, following straight back-to-back games over the weekend.

The Clippers are down 1-2 this season vs. the Timberwolves

The Clippers will seek to even the season series, as they only have nine losses at home. This marks their second matchup at crypto.com area, where the Timberwolves pulled out the 121-100 victory on Feb 12.

The matchup on Tuesday is generating excitement, especially because the Clippers are currently trailing Minnesota by two games for the No. 3 seed. Despite injury reports on both teams, the game promises to be a must-watch conference matchup that will surely attract bettors.

With the playoffs creeping around the corner, these top teams in the west will look to cement their playoff spots.

For those interested in betting on this matchup, Sara Jane has compiled all the necessary data, odds, and statistics to facilitate informed betting predictions for Tuesday, Mar. 12.

ODDS ARE CURRENT AS OF MAR. 12, AT 10:00 A.M. ET (UPDATED)

• SJ's NBA record this month: 33-29

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES VS. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS FAN DUEL ODDS FOR MAR. 12

MONEY LINE

• MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: +205
• LA CLIPPERS:-255

SPREAD

• MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: +6.5 (-108)
• LA CLIPPERS: -6.5 (-112)

OVER/UNDER (TOTAL)

• OVER: 215 (-112)
• UNDER: 215 (-108)

BEST FANDUEL ODDS FOR MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES VS. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

• FanDuel currently has the best Clippers money line odds at -255
• The LA Clippers are 6.5 point favorites against the Minnesota Timberwolves.  FanDuel currently has the best odds currently at (-112)
• The Minnesota Timberwolves are the underdogs by +6.5 to cover the spread tonight. Again, FanDuel currently has the best odds at -108 for Denver to cover the spread
• FanDuel Sportsbook currently has the best odds for the total, which is set at -108 and -112 (215)

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MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES AND LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS INJURY REPORT

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES INJURY REPORT

• G: MONTE MORRIS, DAY-TO-DAY (HAMSTRING)
• G: ANTHONY EDWARDS, DAY-TO-DAY (SHOULDER)
• F: KYLE ANDERSON, DAY-TO-DAY (SHOULDER)
• C: RUDY GOBERT, DAY-TO-DAY (HAMSTRING)
• G: JAYLEN CLARK, OUT (ACHILLES)
• C: KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS, OUT (KNEE)

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS INJURY REPORT

• F: PAUL GEORGE, DAY-TO-DAY (KNEE)
• F: KAWHI LEONARD, DAY-TO-DAY (GROIN)
• G: RUSSELL WESTBROOK, OUT (LEFT HAND FRACTURE)

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES SEASON STATISTICS & BETTING TRENDS

*ATS = Against the Spread*O/U = Over/Under

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS SEASON STATISTICS & BETTING TRENDS

*ATS = Against the Spread*O/U = Over/Under

Head-to-head stats: Timberwolves vs. Clippers

Season Matchups:

• Game 1: Minnesota 109, LAC 101 ( MIN +1, Under 225)
• Game 2: Minnesota 121, LAC 100 (MIN +5, Under 223.5)
• Game 3: Los Angeles 89, MIN 88 (LAC +2.5, Under 219.5)

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SPREAD: TIMBERWOLVES +6.5 (FAN DUEL)

This is an extremely important matchup for both teams, as they meet for the final time this season. With the Timberwolves defensive prowess shining throughout the entire year, they will attempt to keep a top seeded position in the west.

With that said, they've lost two straight games, and haven't been as efficient, covering the spread in just three of the last seven games.

Leading the league with an impressive 108.3 defensive rating, they remain in playoff contention without big man Karl-Anthony Towns (KAT).

17-17-0 on the road against the spread, Minnesota will face the Clippers, who have George and Leonard listed on the injury report. Just 2-8 in covering the spread in the last ten matchups, the Timberwolves have an overall record of 32-33-0 in covering the point differential this season.

If George and Leonard are unable to suit up, there will be a monumental shift in the odds. After failing to cover the spread in the last two defeats, they face a Clippers team who have failed to cover in seven of their last ten matchups.

Minnesota has a history of covering the spread head-to head

Having played three times this season, both teams are fairly familiar with each others play styles, despite lengthy injury reports. 6-4 against the spread in the last ten meetings against Los Angeles, the Timberwolves covered in two of the three this season.

Not favored in a single matchup, they were underdogs by one on Jan 14, and five on feb 12.  In both those matchups, the Timberwolves prevailed, walking away with two victories, and a 25 point differential.

It's worthy to note, for all of their matchups this season, both teams had healthy starting lineups.  However, that may not be the case for tonight.

Why the Minnesota Timberwolves can cover: the emergence of Naz Reid

Losing Towns to a meniscus tear was a significant setback for Minnesota.  Someway, somehow, the Gobert/Towns experiment has seemingly worked, and the Timberwolves even had control of the west for quite some time. In his place, Reid, 24, has been stellar.

A 6'9, Reid has been a solid two-way player for the team, contributing 25 points, four blocks, three assists, and five rebounds in the loss against the Lakers.

On Friday, he delivered an even more remarkable performance, tallying a career-high 34 points while shooting 7 for 11 from beyond the arc.

Much like towns, he excels at spacing the floor, and can provide paint protection, next to Rudy Gobert.

Along with Reid, Anthony Edwards has been playing some of the best basketball of the season. Averaging a career-high 26.3 points per game, on 46.1 percent field goal shooting. Nicknamed the "Ant Man," there's a reason why there's been much speculation whether he'll become the next face of the NBA.

A highly versatile scorer, Edwards has been sensational over the last ten games, putting up 26.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and four assists. If he's able to suit up tonight, expect him to have a colossal game, as he's averaged nearly 28 points in three matchups against LA.

The Timberwolves defense is elite

There's a reason why the Timberwolves allow only 106.8 opponent points per game, which is a league best. Holding the Clippers to just 89 last game, they also held them to just 100 points in their second matchup. Over their three meeting this year, the Clippers are averaging just 98 points, which is unheard of.

While there's a discrepancy between the two offenses, the Timberwolves should be able to hold the Clippers defensively. Aside from being held to under 100 points, Los Angeles is shooting just 40.5 percent from the field against Minnesota.

In fact, sharpshooter veteran James Harden is putting up just 11 points, on 21.7 percent from deep, which is extremely uncharacteristic. A career 36.5 percent three-point shooter, it truly displays how effective and elite the Timberwolves perimeter defense has been.

Similarly, Paul George, is shooting under 30 percent from the floor and beyond the arc against Minnesota this season. Again, these numbers do not reflect George as a player, and if the Timberwolves can lock down their main players, they have a large chance of covering the spread.

Overall, we simple can't ignore the defensive prowess of players such as Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, and Naz Reid.

While they've struggled on offense, players such as Nickeil Alexander-Walker will be critical to the teams success, and Minnesota will need to take advantage of the Clippers injuries.

If this is truly an injury riddled game, it will come down to defense. Given this is a prime time game, Minnesota won't go down without a fight.

TOTAL: Under 215 (-108 FAN DUEL)

If you were to look at the Clippers and Timberwolves score last meeting, an 89-88 matchup resembles more of a 1990's box score than it does today. In a generation where the NBA is producing higher offense than ever, it's rare you see scores that low.

Over the last ten games, Minnesota is putting up 108.5 points per game, and the Clippers, respectfully 111. While these aren't the highest offensive numbers, the Clippers often play higher than what their line is set at.

Given the number of injuries, I simply cannot take the over, as all three of their matchups have gone under. While 215 is a relatively low total amount, both these teams combined for a total of just 177 points on Mar. 3, and that was include all of their top stars and players.

Overall, both teams play slower paced basketball, and despite ranking fourth in offensive efficiency, the Clippers remain somewhat of a solid defensive squad. Minnesota is only putting up an average of 106 points over the last five games.

For the Clippers, they are scoring around 109 points per game. While most models are projecting this game to soar over, the stats and trajectory say otherwise. Also, the 104 points Minnesota put up against Cleveland last week came with an extra period of overtime. Give me the under for this game.

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