Atlanta Hawks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Prediction 12/28/18

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The Atlanta Hawks (9-24), 9.5-point underdogs, will travel to the Target Center to clash against the Minnesota Timberwolves (16-18). The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 230 points and it will air on Fox Sports – Southeast at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, December 28, 2018.

Atlanta Hawks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Odds

In the Timberwolves’ previous outing, they easily covered the 4-point spread against the Chicago Bulls, 119-94. The Hawks, meanwhile, were beat by the Indiana Pacers, 129-121, and were not able to cover as 6.5-point underdogs. Both games finished over their projected point totals. The Minnesota game went 3 points over the projected point total of 210, while the Atlanta game went 30 points over the projected point total of 220.

Minnesota dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a free throw rate of 0.172 (matching their season average) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.554 (above their season average of 0.506). For those same stats, Chicago put up marks of 0.105 and 0.442, respectively. Atlanta, on the other hand, had a better offensive rebounding percentage (27.5 vs. 25.0). Karl-Anthony Towns played well for Minnesota with 20 points and 20 rebounds. Atlanta received a boost from Dewayne Dedmon, who put up 18 points and 15 rebounds.

This was a highly competitive series last year. Each won one of the two games played against each other last season. In the last game, the Timberwolves won 126-114. The Timberwolves’ 11.6 turnover percentage was their largest advantage over the Hawks, who had a mark of 18.7. This is the first time these teams will battle this year.

Hawks games have gone over the projected point total 54.5 percent of the time. Atlanta comes into the game with records of 9-24 straight up (SU) and 14-19 against the spread (ATS).

Of the Timberwolves’ 34 games, 19 have finished under the total. Moreover, Minnesota owns records of 16-18 SU and 18-16 ATS.

Kent Bazemore has been playing at a high level as of late for Atlanta, averaging 16 points,4.0 assists,1.6 steals over the last five games.

The physical Minnesota offense could be getting to the foul line a lot in this showdown. The Timberwolves currently rank seventh in the NBA with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.213, while Atlanta ranks 30th in FTA rate allowed (0.236).

Hawks at Timberwolves ATS Pick

Free Pick: SU Winner – Timberwolves, ATS Winner – Hawks, O/U – Over

Betting Notes:

  • The Hawks rank 20 in rebounds per game (44.18181818181818) while the Timberwolves rank 24 in rebounds allowed per game (46.11764705882353).
  • Minnesota ranks first in steals allowed per game (6.3) while Atlanta ranks last (10.6).
  • The Timberwolves rank fifth in second chance points per game (15.0) while the Hawks rank 28th in second chance points allowed per game (14.8).
  • Atlanta averages 25.5 assists per game, which ranks seventh in the NBA. Minnesota ranks 25th in assists allowed per game (25.5).
  • Atlanta averages 5.7272727272727275 blocks per game, which ranks 7 in the NBA. Minnesota ranks 16 in blocks allowed per game (5.147058823529412).
  • The Hawks average 34.8 three pointers per game, which ranks fourth in the NBA. The Timberwolves rank 29th in three pointers allowed per game (34.0).
  • The Hawks rank 4 in fast break points per game (17.515151515151516) while the Timberwolves rank 20 in fast break points allowed per game (14.382352941176471).
  • Minnesota ranks fifth in points off turnovers allowed per game (15.3) while Atlanta ranks last (22.4).
  • In games where they allow less than 100 points, Atlanta is 2-2 and Minnesota is 7-0.
  • In games where they score over 100 points, the Timberwolves are 16-12 and the Hawks are 8-18.
  • Atlanta is 9-9 ATS on the road, while Minnesota is 11-6 ATS at home.
  • The Hawks have 9 overs and 9 unders in 18 road games.
  • The Timberwolves have 9 overs and 8 unders in 17 home games.

Bettings Trends:

  • In their last five games, Atlanta and Minnesota are both 3-2 ATS.
  • The Hawks have 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games, while the Timberwolves have 5 overs
  • During their last five games, the Hawks have scored an average of 115.6 points per game (6.6 above their season average) and allowed an average of 117.0 points per game (1.2 below their season average).
  • The Timberwolves have outscored opponents by an average of 4.4 points in their last five games. On the season, Minnesota has scored an equal number of points as their opponents.