The Kings, losers of seven of nine, host the hard-charging Timberwolves in a nationally televised Monday contest at 10 p.m. ET. While the Kings try to avoid the Western Conference cellar, the Timberwolves are coming off a convincing 122-104 thrashing of the Bulls.
Minnesota opened as a 5.5-point road favorite, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, has risen from 214.5 to 215.5.
Before picking either side, you need to read what SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh has to say.
Earlier this month before the trade deadline, Oh jumped on the Cavaliers, four-point home underdogs, to cover against these same Timberwolves, noting that LeBron James would have a dominant performance in a high-scoring affair. The result: King James put up a game-high 37 points in a 140-138 thriller, giving Oh the cash in an upset.
Now, Oh, who specializes in advanced statistical analyses, has examined every matchup, every player and every trend for Minnesota-Sacramento and locked in a confident against-the-spread pick. We can tell you he's expecting a low-scoring affair and is leaning toward the under, but he called one side of the spread a "no-brainer."
Oh knows that Jimmy Butler being sidelined after knee surgery is a brutal blow for the Timberwolves. Their best shot to cover the spread will require more postup play from Karl-Anthony Towns. The 7-foot center has been on fire from the field over his past 10 games, shooting 56 percent. He'll need to be more aggressive defensively as well. He's averaging 1.5 blocks this season and will be called on to keep Sacramento's bigs in check.
But the Kings can stay within the spread -- or win outright -- with a well-rested Zach Randolph ready to dominate. He was inactive in Sacramento's final game before the All-Star break and has played just twice in the past 12 days. Even at 36, his wide body presents matchup problems in the paint.
So what side of Timberwolves-Kings do you need to be all over? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Timberwolves-Kings spread is a 'no-brainer' to back, all from the data scientist who already nailed the Cavs upsetting the Wolves.