Timberwolves vs Cavaliers Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: Edwards Wills Minnesota to Victory

Two teams missing star players will face off on Friday night as the Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Minnesota (44-19) has the best record in the Western Conference, but will likely play the rest of the regular season without Karl-Anthony Towns, who underwent surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee. Cleveland (40-22) sits third in the Eastern Conference but will play tonight’s game without Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, and Max Strus. 

The NBA odds suggest a tight game, and one that may come down to which team can find replacements for their missing stars. We’ll break it all down in our free NBA picks and predictions for Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers on March 8.

Timberwolves vs Cavaliers odds

Timberwolves vs Cavaliers predictions

The Minnesota Timberwolves are not the same team without Karl-Anthony Towns on the court. The 28-year-old big man is averaging 22.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game and is an imposing figure on the defensive end. He even contributes to moving the ball on offense, averaging three assists per night. 

If Minnesota has to play without Towns come playoff time, a team that looked like a title contender may struggle to get out of the second round. For the regular season, though, the Timberwolves do have options. Anthony Edwards (26.4 ppg) will continue to carry the scoring load, with Rudy Gobert (13.9 ppg) and Naz Reid (12.3 ppg) can give Minnesota options for post play in Towns’ absence. Mike Conley (10.5 ppg) runs the point, averaging 6.2 assists and allowing Edwards to spend much of the game working off the ball.

In other words, the Timberwolves are still an imposing team even without one of their two key offensive weapons. Unfortunately, the Cleveland Cavaliers are in a much worse position tonight. 

The good news for Cleveland is that none of their players have injuries that are as concerning long-term as Towns’ knee issue. However, they will be without several starters for this game, as several lingering issues have yet to be resolved. 

Evan Mobley (15.6 ppg) sprained an ankle on Tuesday and will be out for this game. Donovan Mitchell (28.0 ppg) has a bone bruise on his left knee and will miss a fifth game in a row. Max Strus (12.2 ppg) is also dealing with a knee problem and will miss his third straight contest tonight. 

This leaves the Cavaliers with several problems to solve. Mitchell is their primary scorer, and there’s really nobody else on the roster who can present a similar threat. Mobley would have been in a good position to take advantage of Towns’ absence, but instead, it will only be Jarrett Allen (15.9 ppg) doing battle with Gobert and Reid down low. Mitchell and Strus usually stretch the defense, and it’s unclear if anyone else will pick up their volume of shots from beyond the arc. 

Cleveland has home-court advantage tonight, but neither of these teams has a significant home/away split. The Timberwolves are the better team at full strength and should be less impacted by the loss of Towns than Cleveland will be by its myriad of injuries. I’m taking Minnesota and the points tonight in a game the Timberwolves may well win outright.

My best bet: Timberwolves +1.5 (-110 at Caesars)

Timberwolves vs Cavaliers same-game parlay

Timberwolves +1.5

Over 206

Anthony Edwards 25+ points

+300 at DraftKings

For tonight's same-game parlay I’m also taking the Over at 206 points. I do expect these teams to struggle a bit offensively with so many players missing, but the total is still too low, as both teams are regularly going above the number tonight even as they deal with some missing pieces.

I’ll also add in a bet on Edwards to hit at least 25 points. Edwards has hit that number in eight of his last 10 games and should be getting even more opportunities to pad his scoring numbers with Towns out of the lineup. This also combines well with the Over as we round out our SGP.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Timberwolves vs Cavaliers spread and Over/Under analysis

Cleveland opened tonight’s game as a two-point favorite. The consensus spread has come down to Cavaliers -1, though you can also find -1.5 as the main line at some books.

Both teams have been treading water for bettors this year. The Timberwolves have put up a 32-31 ATS record, while Cleveland is 30-32 ATS on the season.

There are important injuries on both sides tonight, and neither team will look like its full-powered version that we’ll hopefully see come playoff time. But the Cavaliers are dealing with much bigger problems to their roster right now, with the majority of their starting lineup unavailable for this game. I’m talking about the Timberwolves – who still have most of their key weapons even with Towns out of the lineup – to cover the spread.

The total for tonight’s game opened at 207 points. That number has remained the consensus Over/Under, though you will find some sites that are offering the hook at either 206.5 or 207.5 instead. A few books have discounts on the Over, including -105 odds on the Over at 207.5 points.

Both teams have played somewhat below the total on the year. The Under has a 33-30 edge when the Timberwolves play, and has also gone 35-26-1 in Cleveland’s games this season.

It’s understandable that the books are keeping the total low on this game, as there are many primary scorers who aren’t going to play tonight. Both teams have been playing to lower totals as of late than they have averaged for the season overall as a result. 

But 207 points is almost nothing in today’s NBA. Cleveland has managed to surpass that total in six of its last seven outings, while Minnesota has done the same in five of its last six. I’m not expecting a ton of points tonight, but with the number this low, I’m still leaning towards the Over.

Timberwolves vs Cavaliers betting trend to know

Cleveland is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers.

Timberwolves vs Cavaliers game info

Timberwolves vs Cavaliers latest injuries

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