Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Utah Jazz: Odds, injuries, game preview

The Minnesota Timberwolves look to stop a two-game slide as they play host to the scuffling Utah Jazz on Sunday at Target Center.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Utah Jazz: Odds, injuries, game preview

And just like that, the positive vibes from the Minnesota Timberwolves winning four out of five games after the victory in Portland last Tuesday turned into losing three out of their last five and five out of their last nine contests.

The Wolves return home for a pair of games against Northwest Division opponents as they attempt to get back on track.

The Utah Jazz started the season 26-9 but have gone 4-11 since then, including 1-6 after Donovan Mitchell went out with a concussion. Rudy Gobert has missed the last three games and will not play against the Wolves on Sunday night.

The Jazz have fallen to a distant fourth in the Western Conference as their slide has matched up with the Memphis Grizzlies’ impressive surge. To make matters worse, the injuries to Mitchell and Gobert have coincided directly with an exceedingly difficult patch on the schedule for Utah, including nine consecutive games against likely playoff teams.

Minnesota Timberwolves odds vs. Utah Jazz

Given the Jazz injury issues, WynnBest has the Wolves as 2.5-point favorites at home over Utah. The only reason that line isn’t any higher is that D’Angelo Russell and Patrick Beverley are both questionable to play for Minnesota.

TV and streaming info for Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Utah Jazz

• 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. Utah Jazz

Last season, the Timberwolves beat the Jazz in three of four matchups. This season, Utah has won all three games to date.

In the most recent meeting on New Year’s Eve, the Wolves led going into the fourth quarter, but Mitchell went off, ultimately scoring 39 points in Utah’s win while Rudy Gobert pitched in 14 points and 16 rebounds. However, Karl-Anthony Towns and Russell didn’t play, as it was towards the end of their stint on the health and safety protocols list.

Now, with no Gobert, Towns should be able to have his way in the paint. Hassan Whiteside has had a solid season for the Jazz, but there isn’t much behind him in Utah’s frontcourt.

The Jazz offense will be reliant on Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic, with Timberwolves killer Jordan Clarkson coming in off the bench to score in bunches.

Utah still carries the league’s No. 1 offensive rating, but they obviously won’t look the same without their two best players. Still, the Wolves defense has struggled mightily since the first of the year, and if they play like the did the last two times out against GoldenState and Phoenix, the Jazz won’t have any problems scoring.

As for the Wolves on offense, they’ll have to rely on Towns and Anthony Edwards to generate the majority of their offense. Towns should be able to get what he wants, whereas the Jazz can likely cobble together enough perimeter defense from Royce O’Neal and Co. to try and slow down Edwards.

Injury report for Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Utah Jazz

The Timberwolves have Russell, Beverley, and the recently recalled Leandro Bolmaro all listed as questionable.

The Jazz have ruled out Mitchell and Gobert. Fringe rotation player Trent Forrest is listed as questionable due to an ankle injury.

We’ll be back after the game with key takeaways and player grades. Here’s to getting back to the .500 mark!