Cleveland (26-13) at Minnesota (25-16)
When: Monday, January 8th 2018
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
Time: 8:05 ET | TV: FS Ohio, FS North
Opening Odds: Cleveland -2.5/218
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The Minnesota Timberwolves have been rolling through the tough Western Conference, but seem to have issues against the weaker Eastern Conference and will have their hands full with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night. Minnesota suffered back-to-back road losses to Brooklyn and Boston to fall to 4-10 against the East, but bounced back for a 116-98 win over New Orleans the next night to improve to 21-6 against their own conference. The T’Wolves held its fifth straight opponent under 100 points on Friday and were efficient offensively, shooting 48.9% from the field and totaling 26 assists in the win over the Pelicans. The Cavaliers added to an already explosive offense with the addition of point guard Isaiah Thomas, who sat out the first 36 games with a hip injury and made his first start on Saturday. Thomas scored 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting in 21 minutes after coming off the bench in his season debut on Tuesday before sitting out Wednesday. Superstar LeBron James averaged 26 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds in a pair of wins over Minnesota last season.
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Thomas was a key factor in Saturday’s 131-127 win over the Orlando Magic, but the stat-stuffer was James. The veteran forward fell an assist shy of a triple-double while recording 33 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and six steals in his first 30-point performance of the new calendar year. Cleveland also got a solid bounce-back performance from power forward Kevin Love, who scored 27 points on 8-of-17 shooting after scoring a season-low two points on 1-of-11 shooting in a 102-82 loss at Boston on Wednesday.
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Minnesota averages 22.5 assists per contest, which is around 15th in the league, but they had seven players collect multiple dimes on Saturday. The Timberwolves managed the assist barrage without starting point guard Jeff Teague, who sat out his sixth straight game with an MCL sprain and is not expected back for at least another week. Center Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double-double in each of the last five games to bring his league-leading total to 33.
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LeBron owned the Timberwolves in the two meetings last season and now he has a dangerous weapon in Thomas to defer to. Thomas is already making contributions to this team and I can see the Cavaliers going on a big roll.
Pick: Cavaliers -1
- Cavaliers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 Monday games.
- Cavaliers are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. NBA Northwest.
- Cavaliers are 5-16-1 ATS in their last 22 vs. Western Conference.
- Cavaliers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Cavaliers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game.
- Cavaliers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Cavaliers are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Cavaliers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Cavaliers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS loss.
- Cavaliers are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
- Cavaliers are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games following a straight up win.
- Cavaliers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Cavaliers are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 road games.
- Cavaliers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Timberwolves are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Timberwolves are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Timberwolves are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
- Timberwolves are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Timberwolves are 6-19-1 ATS in their last 26 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Timberwolves are 3-10-1 ATS in their last 14 home games.
- Timberwolves are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. NBA Central.
- Under is 5-0 in Cavaliers last 5 Monday games.
- Over is 7-1 in Cavaliers last 8 games after allowing more than 125 points in their previous game.
- Under is 7-1 in Cavaliers last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 7-1 in Cavaliers last 8 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Under is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 road games.
- Under is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 games following a straight up win.
- Under is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 vs. Western Conference.
- Under is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 5-2 in Cavaliers last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Over is 12-5 in Cavaliers last 17 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game.
- Under is 11-5-1 in Cavaliers last 17 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 11-5 in Cavaliers last 16 games following a ATS loss.
- Under is 6-0 in Timberwolves last 6 overall.
- Under is 3-0-1 in Timberwolves last 4 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Under is 5-0 in Timberwolves last 5 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 4-0 in Timberwolves last 4 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Over is 4-0 in Timberwolves last 4 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 4-0 in Timberwolves last 4 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 5-1 in Timberwolves last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Under is 9-2 in Timberwolves last 11 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
- Over is 9-3 in Timberwolves last 12 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Under is 15-6 in Timberwolves last 21 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 13-6 in Timberwolves last 19 vs. NBA Central.
- Over is 27-13 in Timberwolves last 40 Monday games.
- Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.
- Favorite is 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
- Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
- Cavaliers are 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings in Minnesota.
- Road team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
