The Minnesota Timberwolves (14-4) are the hottest team in the Western Conference heading into December. They went 13-2 in November, wrapping up the month with a three-game winning streak, which they will try to extend when they face the Charlotte Hornets (6-11) on Saturday. Charlotte snapped a two-game skid with a 129-128 win at Brooklyn on Thursday night, springing the upset as a 9-point underdog. The Hornets came away with a 121-113 victory when these teams met in February near the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Spectrum Center. The Timberwolves are favored by 6 points in the latest Hornets vs. Timberwolves odds, while the over/under is set at 219.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Timberwolves vs. Hornets picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 6 of the 2023-24 NBA season on an 86-50 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Minnesota-Charlotte. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:
Hornets vs. Timberwolves spread: Timberwolves -6
Hornets vs. Timberwolves over/under: 219.5 points
Hornets vs. Timberwolves money line: Timberwolves -238, Hornets +194
Hornets vs. Timberwolves picks: See picks here
Why the Hornets can cover
Charlotte is sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, but it has won three of its last five games heading into this matchup. The Hornets beat the Celtics and Wizards in back-to-back games before Thanksgiving, and they snapped a two-game losing streak with a 129-128 win at Brooklyn on Thursday. They were 9-point underdogs in that game, but shooting guard Terry Rozier poured in 37 points and dished out 13 assists.
Rozier had been sidelined until recently with a groin injury, and he stepped up with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller both sidelined by ankle injuries. All five starters scored in double figures for Charlotte, with Miles Bridges and Gordon Hayward combining for 45 points. The Hornets knocked down a season-high 21 3-pointers, and they have covered the spread in five of their last six home games against Minnesota.
Why the Timberwolves can cover
Minnesota was the hottest team in the NBA in November, winning 13 of its 15 games to take a two-game lead atop the Western Conference standings. The Timberwolves beat Memphis on the road last Sunday before adding back-to-back home wins over the Thunder and Jazz. Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 32 points in the double-digit win over Utah, while Rudy Gobert added 13 rebounds.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker posted a season-high 20 points on 8 of 16 shooting, and he added seven assists, five rebounds, five steals and two blocks in 36 minutes. He stepped up with leading scorer Anthony Edwards sidelined by a hip injury, and he should get additional minutes on Saturday with Edwards expected to miss this game as well. The Timberwolves have covered the spread in four of their last five games against Eastern Conference opponents. See which team to pick here.
How to make Hornets vs. Timberwolves picks
The model has simulated Timberwolves vs. Hornets 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.