NBA
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Washington Wizards Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction
Date: Monday 13th January 2025 Start time: 7 pm local time (00:00 am BST) Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington D.C. Last meeting: April 9, 2024, Minnesota Timberwolves 130-121 Washington Wizards The struggling Minnesota Timberwolves face off against the bottom Eastern seed, the Washington Wizards.
Anthony Edwards//Getty Images
The struggling Minnesota Timberwolves face off against the bottom Eastern seed, the Washington Wizards. The Timberwolves approach the halfway phase of the 2024/25 season down in play-in contention despite claiming third in the Western Conference in the last season. With the Wizards likely tanking for the rest of the season, can the Timberwolves salvage a vital win to get their play-off hopes back on track?
With SportsBoom, read our comprehensive breakdown of both teams. This article offers our top-value bets, plus a detailed look at key players and their past performances against each other.
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Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Minnesota Timberwolves: 4/7 (1.57) – 63%
Washington Wizards: 13/8 (2.63) – 37%
Forecast odds – Betting available on Stake closer to event
Head-to-Head Record
This matchup is a relatively recent encounter that occurs twice a year in the NBA regular season, as the Washington Wizards and Minnesota Timberwolves have produced only 67 games throughout history. The Wizards have won 39 fixtures, whereas the Timberwolves have won 28.
The Timberwolves stole the show in the 2023-24 season, winning both home and away meetings. However, from 2019 to 2023, the Wizards produced an impressive seven-game winning streak. One noticeable feature of both teams is that they aren’t shy about producing together huge numbers in front of their respective crowds.
Last Five Matches
| Season | Date | Result |
| 2024/24 Season | April 9, 2024 | Minnesota Timberwolves 130-121 Washington Wizards |
| 2023/24 Season | January 24, 2024 | Minnesota Timberwolves 118-107 Washington Wizards |
| 2022/23 Season | February 16, 2023 | Washington Wizards 114-106 Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2022/23 Season | November 28, 2022 | Washington Wizards 142-127 Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2021/22 Season | April 5, 2022 | Washington Wizards 132-114 Minnesota Timberwolves |
How is the season so far for both teams?
Washington Wizards
- Record: 6-28
- Home Form: 5-17
- Road Form: 1-13
The Washington Wizards are rock bottom of the Eastern Conference, posting a 6-28 record and currently on a three-game losing streak. This losing streak, albeit only three games, is on par with the third seed, the New York Knicks. The Wizards are now facing a huge dilemma on whether to tank for the rest of the season amid this disastrous start.
Frenchman Bilal Coulibaly is the organization’s 2023 first-round selection and first-choice shooting guard. He has played a pivotal role on the roster. In only his second season with the team, he has been included in the regular starting five 29 times and has significantly upped the game in points, rebounds and assists. The Frenchman is only 20, posting figures of 12.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, all of which point to a positive and upward trajectory.
Jordan Poole, a former first-round pick, is the Wizards’ offensive powerhouse, putting up a career-best 21.8 points per game. Despite this impressive individual performance, team success has been elusive. Poole recently suffered a left hip contusion and has played certain games. Whether he will return for this game is unclear, but it isn’t a serious injury.
Jordan Poole//Getty Images
Minnesota Timberwolves
- Record: 19-17
- Home Form: 10-7
- Road Form: 9-10
The Minnesota Timberwolves place themselves the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a 19-17 record as they close in on the halfway point of the 2024/25 NBA season. Minnesota has posted a 10-7 record at home and a 9-10 record on the road, but a key to their season is winning games from their Conference. The Timberwolves have a 16-10 record against those in the west, a record that places them as one of the best within their division.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are struggling this season compared to previous years, with their power forward and recruit Julius Randle posting his worst numbers since the 2019/20 season. The power forward is the Timberwolves’ second most efficient shooter with 19.6 points per game and is struggling to match his near double figures per game in rebounds.
Unsurprisingly, the Timberwolves’ leading star is Anthony Edwards. Edwards is in his fifth year with the team and is producing stats almost on par with this previous season. He is averaging 25.6 points per game, which places him eighth in the league, and he has improved on his three-point shot percentage from 35.7% to 42.2% for the season. Edwards is posting 25.6, 5.7 and 4.1 for the season, showing room for further growth as he is close to matching previous years.
Value Bets
Jordan Poole: Over 15 Points
SportsBoom predicts Jordan Poole will score over 15 points in this match with the Timberwolves. Although his average across 15 previous meetings is only 13.1 points per game, he has shown what it takes to produce convincing performances against Minnesota. He has scored more than 15 points in seven of his last ten encounters and has raised the bar in recent memory.
Anthony Edwards: Over 30 Points and 5 Rebounds
Anthony Edwards has a 2-6 record against the Washington Wizards but a sensational stat line against them. He has averaged 29.1 points per game, but his last three games have seen him post 34 points, 38 points, and 51 points, respectively. These performances show not only Edwards’ capabilities but also convey how much he relishes this matchup. We predict him to eclipse 30 points a game once more and post five rebounds.
Prediction: Minnesota Timberwolves
SportsBoom predicts the Minnesota Timberwolves to win and use this to propel their season and get back on track. The Western Conference is closely contested right now, and a mini-run could spark a play-off campaign into life. The Timberwolves travel to Washington D.C., a team with an inferior record from their previous ten games; therefore, all the important statistics point towards a win for Minnesota.
Henry Cheal is a versatile freelance sports journalist with extensive experience in the industry. Henry has previously worked at the 2024 World Snooker Championship and earned a Multimedia Sports Journalism degree from UCFB in 2023.
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