Orlando Magic vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: Spread, Line, Odds, Predictions, Picks and Betting Preview

ORLANDO MAGIC VS. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES GAME INFORMATION

Date: 1/20/21

Time: 8 p.m. ET

Venue: Target Center

TV Coverage: NBA League Pass

ORLANDO MAGIC VS. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES MONEYLINE, SPREAD, TOTAL, AND ODDS

Moneyline: Magic -174 | Timberwolves +146

Spread: Magic -4

Total: TBD

NBA Championship Odds: Magic +16000 | Timberwolves +24000

Odds courtesy of Fanduel Sportsbook. Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook today and get your first bet risk free for up to $1,000!

ORLANDO MAGIC VS. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES NEWS AND NOTES

Both of these teams are pretty banged up at the moment.

Orlando has already ruled out Michael Carter-Williams with a foot injury, while Evan Fournier and Al-Farouq Aminu are listed as doubtful. Mo Bamba also remains out due to health and safety protocols, while Markelle Fultz is done for the year after tearing his ACL.

That doesn’t leave the Magic with a ton of depth, but they still have a solid core of players they can count on. Carter-Williams is the only player who has been ruled out that has a positive Net Rating differential this season per Cleaning the Glass.

The Timberwolves’ injury report isn’t quite as crowded, but the names on it are critical. Karl-Anthony Towns, Ricky Rubio, and Juancho Hernangomez will all remain out due to health and safety protocols. Josh Okogie is listed as probable, but he has been able to suit up in each of the Timberwolves’ past three games. He was limited to just 22.4 minutes in his last game, but head coach Ryan Saunders said that was more due to matchups than any injury concern. He should be a full go vs. the Magic.

ORLANDO MAGIC VS. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES PREVIEW AND PICK

It is impossible to understate how big the Towns injury is for the Timberwolves. He’s obviously their best player, but it’s still startling how bad the team has been without him. Their Net Rating has increased by +24.6 points per 100 possessions with Towns on the court this season, which puts him in the 99th percentile for qualified players. That means he’s been one of the most impactful players in the league this season.

Overall, the team has played 449 minutes with Towns off the court this season. They’ve averaged just 101.0 points per 100 possessions in that situation, and they’ve allowed an average of 115.7 points per 100 possessions. You don’t need to be great at math to figure out they’re getting absolutely crushed with Towns off the court.

They’ve had to rely on D’Angelo Russell to generate offense in that situation, and he’s the only reason their results haven’t been even more disastrous. He’s posted an eFG of 54.7%, which is better than his mark while sharing the court with Towns. The rest of his teammates have not been nearly as successful:

• Malik Beasley: 66.9% eFG with Towns, 46.7% without
• Anthony Edwards: 60.0 eFG with Towns, 41.1% without
• Jarrett Culver: 73.1% eFG with Towns, 42.6% without

Russell is simply the only member of the team who can score the ball with Towns sidelined.

Unfortunately, Russell has been an absolute train wreck defensively. The Timberwolves have allowed an additional +20.4 points per 100 possessions with Russell on the court this season, which puts him in the first percentile for qualified players. Their offense has been marginally better with Russell on the court but nowhere near good enough to make up for his disastrous defense. Add it all up, and Russell’s Net Rating differential of -17.2 is one of the worst marks in the league for someone with that much playing time.

The Magic aren’t a great team, but they are more than good enough to take care of business in this matchup. The Timberwolves are a team we should be looking to fade in every game without Towns, and Wednesday is no exception.

The Pick: Magic -4.0