PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* TOTAL MASSACRE >> Off HUGE NHL Total Win Thurs!
(NBA) Minnesota vs. Oklahoma City,
Total: 210.50 | -104.00 Under
Result: Win
Total: 210.50 | -104.00 Under
Result: Win
The set-up: Both the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder made 'noise' in the off-season in attempts to "close the gap" with the Golden State Warriors. Sure, OKC owns an impressive 108-91 home win over the Warriors back on Nov. 22 but at just 8-12, the "new-look" Thunder have been a huge disappointment. As for Minnesota, the Timberwolves are 13-9 overall and more notably, a conference-best 10-3 against the West. The two teams square off Friday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena, having already met twice this season in October. Minnesota has taken each of the first two, 115-113 in OKC and 119-116 in Minnesota.
Minnesota: Jimmy Butler was the key addition of the off-season, coming from Chicago but the T-wolves also traded for PG Jeff Teague. Those two were added to young stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, as Minnesota hoped to put itself in a position to challenge in the top-heavy West. The T-wolves have shown glimpses of what they "could be" but also show inconsistency, evidenced by them trading wins and losses over the last six games. They followed up a 92-89 loss at home to Washington on Tuesday with a 120-102 win the next night at New Orleans. "In the NBA, there's an excuse every night," Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "Whether it's travel, injuries, back-to-backs. Or you can make good. When the ball goes up, you have to be ready to go." The team's starting-five are all averaging in double digits. Towns (20.4 & 11.7), Wiggins (19.0 & 4.1) and Gibson (10.8 & 8.3) start up front and Butler (17.5-5.4-4.5) and Teague (14.0 & 7.5 APG).
Oklahoma City" So far, the pairing of new additions Paul George (20.5 & 5.9) and Carmelo Anthony (19.7 & 6.2) with reigning MVP Russell Westbrook (22.4-9.2-9.4) has not produced the desired result. Despite that emotional win over the Golden State Warriors last week, Oklahoma City continues to search for continuity among its stars. The Thunder are coming off a 121-108 loss at Orlando on Wednesday in which they squandered a second-half lead (Magic used a 26-3 run to break it open). By the way, the Magic entered that game on a nine-game losing streak!. It marked the Thunder's seventh straight road loss and fifth defeat in the past six games, overall. "We have to lock in," Westbrook told reporters. "That starts with me and I take ownership in everything that is going on because I've been here. I know the standards that we set here in Oklahoma City. I have to set an example. It starts with me and we're going to turn this thing around." Westbrook totaled 37 points and 11 rebounds in his fifth straight game with at least a double-double on Wednesday but committed seven turnovers and went for an x-ray after the game on a bruised left hand that came back negative.
The pick: Minnesota is averaging 107.8 PPG (10th) but Thibodeau, a defensive-minded coach, has yet to get his team "up to speed." The T-wolves come in allowing 107.2 PPG (21st), while ranking dead-last in defensive FG percentage (48.3%). The Thunder have beaten up on bad teams at home, with a 4-0 ATS mark when laying more than nine points but Minnesota is not one of those "bad teams." Note the high scores of the first two meetings. Paraphrasing, "third verse, same as the first (two)!" Make the Over a 10* play.
Minnesota: Jimmy Butler was the key addition of the off-season, coming from Chicago but the T-wolves also traded for PG Jeff Teague. Those two were added to young stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, as Minnesota hoped to put itself in a position to challenge in the top-heavy West. The T-wolves have shown glimpses of what they "could be" but also show inconsistency, evidenced by them trading wins and losses over the last six games. They followed up a 92-89 loss at home to Washington on Tuesday with a 120-102 win the next night at New Orleans. "In the NBA, there's an excuse every night," Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "Whether it's travel, injuries, back-to-backs. Or you can make good. When the ball goes up, you have to be ready to go." The team's starting-five are all averaging in double digits. Towns (20.4 & 11.7), Wiggins (19.0 & 4.1) and Gibson (10.8 & 8.3) start up front and Butler (17.5-5.4-4.5) and Teague (14.0 & 7.5 APG).
Oklahoma City" So far, the pairing of new additions Paul George (20.5 & 5.9) and Carmelo Anthony (19.7 & 6.2) with reigning MVP Russell Westbrook (22.4-9.2-9.4) has not produced the desired result. Despite that emotional win over the Golden State Warriors last week, Oklahoma City continues to search for continuity among its stars. The Thunder are coming off a 121-108 loss at Orlando on Wednesday in which they squandered a second-half lead (Magic used a 26-3 run to break it open). By the way, the Magic entered that game on a nine-game losing streak!. It marked the Thunder's seventh straight road loss and fifth defeat in the past six games, overall. "We have to lock in," Westbrook told reporters. "That starts with me and I take ownership in everything that is going on because I've been here. I know the standards that we set here in Oklahoma City. I have to set an example. It starts with me and we're going to turn this thing around." Westbrook totaled 37 points and 11 rebounds in his fifth straight game with at least a double-double on Wednesday but committed seven turnovers and went for an x-ray after the game on a bruised left hand that came back negative.
The pick: Minnesota is averaging 107.8 PPG (10th) but Thibodeau, a defensive-minded coach, has yet to get his team "up to speed." The T-wolves come in allowing 107.2 PPG (21st), while ranking dead-last in defensive FG percentage (48.3%). The Thunder have beaten up on bad teams at home, with a 4-0 ATS mark when laying more than nine points but Minnesota is not one of those "bad teams." Note the high scores of the first two meetings. Paraphrasing, "third verse, same as the first (two)!" Make the Over a 10* play.
