Earning a win and covering the posted spread will be the goals for Minnesota when they hit take on the Nuggets on Thursday in pro hoops betting action.

This season the Nuggets are 18-15 overall and 20-13 ATS against the number, while the Timberwolves are 14-14 and 15-13 ATS. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). As for the totals, Denver is 17-16 on the OU, and Minnesota is 14-14.



View Minnesota vs Denver Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Bettors looking to back the visiting Timberwolves before tip-off in this one found them as 7-point underdogs earlier at Sportsbook, while the total was sitting at 205 at Sportsbook.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The power rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Nuggets rated this week at No. 5 and the Timberwolves sitting at No. 7. It may or may not play a role in Odds Shark score prediction models that turned out a 100-98 result in favor of the Nuggets today.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits Denver's No. 8-ranked offense, averaging 101.6 PPG, against a Timberwolves defense that ranks No. 6 at 95 PPG. The Nuggets field goal percentage has averaged 46.5% so far, more than the Timberwolves shooters have achieved on the year, 43% per game.

Defensively, the Timberwolves feature the league's No. 12-rated defense on the road, giving up 97.2 points per game. Denver, meanwhile, comes in at No. 5 in the league in scoring at home.

The Timberwolves were a 106-84 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Jazz. They failed to cover the 3-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (190) made Sportsbooks of UNDER bettors. Minnesota was run off the court by the Jazz on Wednesday as Utah blasted them 106-84 at EnergySolutions Arena.

The Nuggets were a 92-78 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against the Clippers. They covered the 1-point spread as favorites, while the total score (170) made Sportsbooks of UNDER bettors. Denver earned a 92-78 victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday, getting 17 points from Danilo Gallinari at Pepsi Center.


Minnesota Timberwolves Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 4-6
Before playing Portland are 1-9
After playing Utah are 3-7
After a loss are 5-5

Denver Nuggets Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
Before playing Utah are 9-1
After playing LA Clippers are 6-4
After a win are 3-7

A few Timberwolves at Nuggets trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Denver
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games
Minnesota is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Minnesota is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Denver
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Denver is 20-3 SU in its last 23 games when playing Minnesota


Next up:
Minnesota home to Portland, Saturday, January 5
Denver home to Utah, Saturday, January 5