The Minnesota Timberwolves (21-19) and New York Knicks (27-15) will meet in the NBA on Friday evening, a newfound rivalry with Julius Randle set to make his return to NYC to face his former team. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The game will broadcast live on MSG and NBA League Pass.
The Knicks are 4.5-point favorites over the Wolves on the spread, with the over/under set at 219.5 total points. New York is a -185 favorite to win outright, while the Timberwolves are +154 to pull off the upset.
Let's get to my Timberwolves vs. Knicks predictions and NBA picks for Friday, January 17.
Timberwolves vs. Knicks Prediction
Spread
My Knicks vs. Timberwolves best bet is on New York to cover the spread as home favorites, with the best line currently available at BetMGM. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
Over/Under
I'm steering clear of the total in tonight's contest.
My Pick: Knicks -4.5
Timberwolves vs. Knicks Odds, Spread, Over/Under
| Timberwolves Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -110 | 219.5 -110 / -110 | +154 |
| Knicks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -110 | 219.5 -110 / -110 | -185 |
- Timberwolves vs. Knicks spread: Knicks -4.5
- Timberwolves vs. Knicks over/under: 219.5 total points
- Timberwolves vs. Knicks moneyline: Timberwolves +154, Knicks -185
- Timberwolves vs. Knicks best bet: Knicks -4.5 (-110)
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New York Knicks NBA Friday Preview
The Knicks host the Timberwolves as Julius Randle makes his return to New York. These teams played back in December with the Knicks emerging victorious in Minnesota, but can Randle and the Wolves take the victory at the Garden?
The Wolves have ruled out Donte DiVincenzo (toe) for this game, so he won't get a chance to line up against his Villanova teammates.
The Knicks have listed Karl-Anthony Towns (thumb) as Questionable for this game after he missed last game with a sprained thumb with bone chips. His status will be one to watch as he had an incredible performance of 32 points and 20 rebounds against Minnesota in the December matchup.
I'd like to hit some of KAT's props. However, it's difficult to gauge just how he will be feeling even if he does play.
The Knicks have the edge on their full season numbers with a +4.6 Adjusted Net Rating compared to Minnesota's +2.4, per Dunks and Threes. The Knicks are carried by their Offense (118.4) while the Wolves are carried by their Defense (109.9).
When Minnesota has played teams with top-10 Offenses, they have a -4.4 net rating with a 5-8 record. When the Knicks have played teams with top-10 Defenses, they have a +0.7 Net Rating and a 5-6 record, per Cleaning the Glass.
The Knicks' offense has just been difficult to slow down regardless of who they play.
Although the Knicks played in Philly last game, they have essentially been home for the last two weeks. Contrast this with the Wolves who has been flying all over the country over the last two weeks, with their last few games being at Orlando, home vs. Memphis, at Washington, home vs. Golden State, and now at New York, before flying out to host the Cavaliers in Minnesota on Saturday.
The Knicks have a significantly more favorable schedule spot here.
We have to talk about Randle as well. When these teams played back in December, he tallied 24 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 3s with 5 turnovers.
I expect him to be aggressive in this spot once again, and if his turnovers prop is at 2.5, I'll grab that just as I did when these teams played back in December. If it's 3.5, I'd play it at plus-money for a half-unit.
Timberwolves vs. Knicks Picks, Predictions
The biggest question here is KAT's status given how important he has been to the Knicks' rotations.
I would be a bit surprised if he missed given the matchup against Minnesota though.
If he's good to go, I will back the Knicks. If he is out, Josh Hart's rebounds will be a look.
For my same game parlay, I like Bridges and Randle to each score 15 points, and Anthony Edwards Over 4.5 assists, a number he's hit in 4 of 6 since Mike Conley was removed from the starting lineup.
Best Bet: Knicks -4.5 (-110)
Knicks vs. Timberwolves Parlay Picks
- Mikal Bridges 15+ Points (-225)
- Julius Randle 15+ Points (-400)
- Anthony Edwards Over 4.5 Assists (-120)
Parlay Payout: +205
Knicks vs. Timberwolves Betting Trends
- 63% of bets and 57% of the money are on the Knicks to cover the spread
- 84% of bets and 74% of the money on the moneyline are on the Knicks to win outright
- 94% of bets and 80% of the money are on the over
Betting trends via our live, updating NBA public betting & money percentages page.
