Timberwolves vs. Bulls Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Monday, Dec. 29

The Timberwolves are favored on the road on Monday.

Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey is a great prop target on Monday. / Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves have lost back-to-back games, including a disappointing loss to Brooklyn on Saturday, as they head into Monday’s matchup with the Chicago Bulls.

Chicago has been up and down this season, posting a net rating of -3.6, but it has won six of its last 10 games to move within striking distance of a top-eight seed in the East. 

The Bulls seem to be right around .500 every season,and Josh Giddey and company (15-16) are headed in that direction again this season.

Meanwhile, Minnesota is looking for a win after losing to Denver on Christmas, as it has slipped to sixth in the Western Conference standings.

Here’s a breakdown of this game, including the latest odds, player props and my prediction on Dec. 29. 

Timberwolves vs. Bulls Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Timberwolves  -6.5 (-105)
• Bulls +6.5 (-115)

Moneyline

• Timberwolves: -238
• Bulls: +195

Total

• 241.5 (Over -105/Under -115)

Timberwolves vs. Bulls How to Watch

• Date: Monday, Dec. 29
• Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: United Center
• How to Watch (TV): CHSN, FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
• Timberwolves record: 20-12
• Bulls record: 15-16

Timberwolves vs. Bulls Injury Reports

Timberwolves Injury Report

• Terrence Shannon Jr. – out
• Rocco Zikarsky – out

Bulls Injury Report

• Zach Collins – out
• Trentyn Flowers – out
• Noa Essengue – out
• Josh Giddey – probable
• Lachlan Olbrich – out
• Emanuel Miller – out

Timberwolves vs. Bulls Best NBA Prop Bets

Bulls Best NBA Prop Bet

• Josh Giddey 8+ Assists (-171)

In today’s best NBA props for SI Betting, I broke down why Giddey is undervalued, even against a tough Minnesota defense: 

Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey is averaging 9.2 assists per game this season, and he’s picked up at least eight dimes in 18 of his 29 games. 

He’s averaging 16.4 potential assists per night, which gives him a solid floor in this matchup with Minnesota – which does have one of the better defensive ratings in the league.

Still, Giddey has the highest usage rate (25.5 percent) of his career this season, and I moved the line on this prop down from 8.5 to have a little more flexibility on Monday. Giddey has cleared this line in five of his last six games, so he’s worth a look in what could be a high-scoring affair with the Wolves on Monday (the total is in the 240s). 

Timberwolves vs. Bulls Prediction and Pick

There are a couple of competing trends that make this a game where I’m taking the points with Chicago, especially with Giddey listed as probable.

The Wolves are 8-6 on the road this season, but they’ve covered the spread in just five of those games, posting an average scoring margin of +2.5 points.

Meanwhile, the Bulls are 13-3 against the spread as underdogs, and they’ve been better over their last 10 games, ranking 20th in the league in net rating (they’re in the bottom 10 for the season overall).

Chicago doesn’t defend at a high level, but the Wolves have struggled all season long to cover as a favorite (9-16). 

I lean with Minnesota taking this game, but it also lost outright to Brooklyn earlier this month. I think the Bulls can hang within two possessions on Monday night. 

Pick: Bulls +6.5 (-115 at DraftKings)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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