Minnesota Timberwolves vs Miami Heat Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 28/10/2023, 11:30  by Joseph King | Modified on 28/10/2023 at 12:18 in NBA Predictions

The 1-1 Miami Heat head west to take on the 0-1 Minnesota Timberwolves for this Saturday night NBA matchup. The Heat kicked off the new season with a narrow 104-103 win over the Detroit Pistons. Despite the win, it was not an overly impressive showing from last season’s NBA finalists as the Pistons held the league’s worst record last year. They would then face off with the co-title favorites Boston Celtics away from home where they would succumb to a 119-111 loss. Miami finished in the eighth-seed last year and got red-hot during the playoffs. Away from home in the regular season, however, they struggled immensely. The Heat ended the 2022/23 regular season with a 17-24 mark on the road, a notable downgrade from the 24-17 record that they managed in the 2021/22 season. They’ll now have to deal with playing the second game of a back-to-back and the third in four days.

Following their eighth-place finish in the West last season, Minnesota will be looking for their young squad to take a step forward this season and lock up a higher-seeding. The Timberwolves were bounced out of the playoffs 4-1 by the eventual champion Denver Nuggets in the first round. They opened their season with a tricky away trip to the Toronto Raptors where they would lose a close one 97-94. Minnesota did not shoot the ball well in that game, managing just 34% from the field and an ugly 25.8% from deep on 31 attempts. However, they’ll now return to the Target Center for their home opener with a two full days rest. Antony Edwards led the way for the TWolves against the Raptors, scoring 26 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. However, he shot just eight for 27 from the field so look for a more efficient game from the 22-year-old this time out.