New Orleans Arena features an NBA battle between the host New Orleans Hornets and the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves in betting action on Friday.

The Hornets sit at 10-25 (18-17 ATS) on the season; in comparison, the Timberwolves are currently 16-16 (17-15 ATS). Looking to wager on the totals? New Orleans is 17-18 OU, and Minnesota is 16-16 OU. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news).



View Minnesota vs New Orleans Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
New Orleans opened as 2-point favorites at online sportsbook Sportsbook, while the NBA total was sitting around 185 at Sportsbook for those who prefer OVER/UNDER betting.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Odds Shark Power Rankings have the Hornets at No. 28 and the Timberwolves at No. 8 heading into this contest. Handicapping models run by the computers at Odds Shark project a 95-90 result in favor of the Timberwolves.



How They Match Up:
When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Timberwolves rank No. 3 in the league with 45.9 per game. That compares with New Orleans’s No. 23 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where New Orleans is the NBA’s No. 15-ranked team at 6.9 per game, while the Timberwolves rate No. 27 with 5.7 per contest.

Defensively, the Timberwolves feature the league's No. 12-rated defense on the road, giving up 97.7 points per game. New Orleans, meanwhile, comes in at No. 30 in the league in scoring at home.

Minnesota lost its last outing, a 106-84 result against the Thunder on January 9. The Timberwolves failed to cover in that game as a 12.5-point underdog, while the 190 combined points took the game UNDER the total. Minnesota was run off the court by the Thunder on Wednesday as Oklahoma City blasted them 106-84 at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Hornets were an 88-79 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against the Rockets. They covered the 2.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (167) made Sportsbooks of UNDER bettors. The Hornets grabbed an 88-79 win over the Rockets on Wednesday, behind a 17-point effort from Greivis Vasquez at New Orleans Arena.


Minnesota Timberwolves Trends:
When playing on Friday are 1-9
Before playing San Antonio are 4-6
After playing Oklahoma City are 2-8
After a loss are 7-3

New Orleans Hornets Trends:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
Before playing New York are 5-5
After playing Houston are 5-5
After a win are 3-7

A few Timberwolves at Hornets trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Minnesota's last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New Orleans's last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Orleans's last 6 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games at home


Next up:
Minnesota at San Antonio, Sunday, January 13
New Orleans at New York, Sunday, January 13