Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Odds, injuries, what to watch for

The Minnesota Timberwolves have lost four games in a row and will welcome a pair of familiar faces back to Target Center along with their surprisingly successful team.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Odds, injuries, what to watch for

The Wolves are on the verge of their second all-out freefall of the season. They’ve now lost four consecutive games, dating back to last Wednesday in Washington. While Karl-Anthony Towns missed one of the games, D’Angelo Russell missed two, and Patrick Beverley missed three, the Wolves simply haven’t performed well overall.

Outside of last Friday’s dogfight in Brooklyn sans Towns, the Wolves have underwhelmed. On Monday, they gave up 25 made 3-pointers to the Atlanta Hawks. On Wednesday, it was the exact same story against the Utah Jazz.

The defense that had been top-10 for much of the season and one of the league’s best at defending the 3-point line has fallen apart over the past week, leading to legitimate questions about just how sustainable the Wolves’ defensive scheme really is over the course of a full season.

As for the Cavaliers, they stand at 14-12 after many prognosticators assumed they would finish as one of the worst five teams in the league this year. Former Wolves Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love anchor a solid bench unit that supports a young and dynamic starting lineup.

They started the season 9-3 before losing five straight. Since then, they won four in a row and have been largely consistent over the past couple of weeks. They come to Target Center following an impressive, 23-point win over the Chicago Bulls last time out.

Minnesota Timberwolves odds vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers are one-point favorites on the road on Friday night, according to WynnBet. Given the Wolves’ recent swoon, this line feels right. It’s hard to justify making the Wolves favorites over a team that’s been several games better while the home team is in the midst of a losing skid.

TV and streaming info for Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

• Tip-off: 7:00 CT
• Television: Bally Sports North
• Radio: 830 WCCO
• Stream: Fubo.tv offers streaming options

What to watch for in Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

While the Cavs have a winning record and have been a pleasant surprise this season, they have plenty of weaknesses that the Wolves should be able to exploit.

For one, they’re a middle-of-the-pack rebounding team on both ends of the floor. The Wolves have struggled on the defensive glass but have been very good on the offensive boards, and should be able to send Jarred Vanderbilt, among others, to try and secure extra offensive possessions.

Overall, the Cavs have been a top-five defense league-wide for much of the year. Jarrett Allen and Isaac Okoro are both fantastic on that end of the floor, and rookie big man Evan Mobley has been solid as well.

Cleveland does a good job defending without fouling and defending the 3-point line. The Wolves at times have struggled to get to the free throw line, and they’ve had a terrible time knocking down open threes virtually all season.

Still, the Cavs’ offense can occasionally get bogged down, and if the Wolves generate their own second-chance opportunities and knock down open 3-point attempts, they should be able to escape with a win over Rubio, Love, and the Cavs.

Injury report for Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Wolves injury report is finally starting to dwindle a bit. Patrick Beverley played on Wednesday and is listed as probable with an adductor strain.

Russell has missed the last two games due to ankle soreness and is listed as questionable once again for Friday.

The Cavs are only without Collin Sexton, who is out for the year after knee surgery.

We’ll be back after the game with key takeaways and player grades. Enjoy Friday night hoops, and here’s to 12-14!