NBA Picks and Betting Tips: Minnesota Timberwolves vs Chicago Bulls

NLB Staff

07.11.2024 12:37

Timberwolves vs Bulls Prediction

With the Chicago Bulls entering this game after a tough stretch of games, they will be playing against a Minnesota Timberwolves squad that has finally found its pace from last season. Going into this matchup, Chicago is coming off a tough 9-point loss against a weaker Jazz team while Minnesota got back on the winning track in a blowout vs Charlotte. This game will take place on November 8th at 6:30 A.M. IST in the American Airlines Arena of Chicago, Illinois. Underneath are our key players, vital injuries, important betting tips, and recent head-to-head performances of both teams to create an accurate prediction.

Timberwolves vs Bulls Key Betting Tips & Predictions

1. Minnesota Timberwolves vs Chicago Bulls Moneyline Pick

As the money line for Minnesota is at -290, it is worth taking with them being heavily favored to win this matchup. Given that Anthony Edwards and Mike Conley create a great two-way backcourt, the Bulls one could be dominated with Coby White being their only defensive threat. As Josh Giddey tries getting up shots, great defenders with length like Jaden McDaniels or Naz Reid can keep switching with no Zach Lavine to rely on this time. As Dalen Terry and Julius Phillips are going to make their Bulls starting debuts at forward most likely if the Patrick Williams injury is worse than expected, the Timberwolves will win every matchup expect at center. Seeing this, the money line of -290 seems very accurate in this matchup.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves vs Chicago Bulls Point Spread Pick

As the spread in this game is at -6.5 for the Timberwolves, it looks like a great pick due to their mismatch against a Bulls team. Having a great defense led by Mike Conley, he can help control Josh Giddey and force the ball into Coby White more than he is used to. As Anthony Edwards can hold his ground on defense and make a ton of plays, he is one of the few players who can win a matchup against Coby White due to his aggressiveness plus shot-making ability on offense. With the length of Jaden McDaniels on the perimeter as a three and defensive guy, he can stay on Patrick Williams as Zach Lavine will potentially be out, leading to Dalen Terry having to be covered by Naz Reid. Even though Reid will start off the bench, he will be out there guarding a lot and could help switch on Julian Philips whenever needed. Although Vucevic has a chance to win his matchup against Gobert, this will be too little for an overall output. Seeing this, the -6.5 for Minnesota will help them make their record against the spread improve from 3-2 over the past 5 games.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves vs Chicago Bulls Over/Under Pick (Total Points)

As the over/under in this game is 225 points, the score in this game should be pretty high. With it most likely going to hit the over, the Timberwolves possess one of the best shooting guards in the game and have a great point guard who can get his forwards set up to fire from three. Similarly, the Bulls have a much-improved scoring point guard this season and one of the best young shooting guards, their growth at center has made this one of the best all-around offenses league-wide. Given that 2 of their past 3 matchups have gone over 235 points, this should be another game where such occurs.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Chicago Bulls Top Player Props

Julius Randle over 22.5 points at 1.86: With the Timberwolves having been one of the most prolific offenses, Julius Randle has been a huge part of their success. Having a matchup advantage against Patrick Williams, limited minutes if he plays, and Julian Philips should help him score at ease while finding the best mid-range shots possible. As he has averaged 21.2 points, his ability to shoot from the perimeter, 46.4% from deep, is something that will help him develop a huge scoreline during this game and pass his season high.

Nikola Vuecvic is over 18.5 points at 1.87: As the Bulls will be without Zach Lavine, there could be many double teams on Coby White because of him being their biggest threat from outside. Seeing this, plus the fact that Rudy Gobert can struggle against athletic centers like Vuecvic he should have a lot of great opportunities to knock down threes and mid-range shots. Seeing that he has averaged 21.9 points and shot 48.5% from three, he should be somewhere around or over his season-average scoreline.

Timberwolves vs Bulls Injury News & Impact

Minnesota Timberwolves Injuries: As the Minnesota Timberwolves enter this game, they have no current injuries on this roster and should continue with their same rotations throughout.

Chicago Bulls Injuries: With this Bulls roster already having Lonzo Ball out for multiple games due to a wrist injury, they could be very depleted heading into this game. With Zach Lavine and Josh Giddey questionable for this game, there could be a chance they are without 2 of their top 3 scorers on offense. Seeing that Giddey, with 14.7 points and 6.3 assists, could be their missing piece at point guard, it could cause Ayo Dosumonu to get the start at a much higher chance of not scoring. Given that Patrick Williams is possibly out at forward due to a shoulder issue and Zach Lavine, 22.7 points, could be ruled out as their best scoring option as well, many bench pieces like Dalen Terry and Julian Philips will get a lot more minutes than expected. With an already no efficient offense, the potential loss of Jalen Smith could make Nikola Vucevic play the whole game at center with no rest.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Chicago Bulls Head-to-Head Trends

Although the Chicago Bulls have recently dominated this matchup having won 5 of their last 6 matchups against Minnesota, things are changing for both teams. With the Timberwolves rising and becoming a better overall team, they should finally put an end to losing against a Bulls team that seems to have lost a lot of momentum due to injuries. As the past 3 matchups have ended within 8 points, this will be another pretty close game with the Timberwolves being 3-2 against the spread over their previous 5 games. As the Timberwolves have scored over 100 points in 10 straight matchups against the Bulls, they should continue this streak.

Betting Insights & Public Trends

Entering this matchup, 73.7% of the bettors are backing the Minnesota Timberwolves to win this contest against the Chicago Bulls.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Chicago Bulls Final Prediction

As the Timberwolves enter this game having been one of the hottest teams in the NBA, they will have a clear advantage over the Bulls from start to finish. With Anthony Edwards playing the shooting guard role as the leader of this team, he will be athletic enough to beat Coby White off the dribble and create his shots. Even though White has shown tremendous energy in the last couple of games on the offensive end, Edwards could meet him and force him into a couple of tough shots that could change this game. With potentially no Zach Lavine in this game, the Bulls have to rely on Dalen Terry to go up against a much bigger Jaden McDaniels who will keep switching on him. Seeing this, plus the fact that Patrick Williams could also not be there for Chicago, Julian Phillips will have to play a role against Julius Randle. Even though Randle hasn’t proven to be a great defender over the years, his size will be a huge advantage over Phillips and cause him to run the offense through Josh Giddey or Ayo Dosomou, depending on if Giddey is available. Seeing him having to be guarded by an elite defender like Conley and the strength of the Timberwolves bench with Naz Reid, the only way Chicago keeps this close is if Nikola Vucevic uses his athletic ability to play a stretch position causing Rudy Gobert to be very uncomfortable.

Our prediction: The Timberwolves win this game and cover a -6.5 spread, while the score goes over 225 points.