Timberwolves vs. Mavericks Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Wednesday, Jan. 22

Just one game separates the No. 7-seeded Dallas Mavericks and No. 9-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference standings heading into Wednesday’s clash in Dallas.

The Mavericks have a loaded injury report for this matchup, as Luka Doncic (calf) is once again out of the lineup and Klay Thompson, Quentin Grimes, Naji Marshall and Dereck Lively II are all questionable to play.

These teams met on Christmas (the game where Doncic was injured) with Minnesota surviving a late Dallas surge to come away with a win. With so many Dallas rotation players up in the air tonight, oddsmakers have set Anthony Edwards and the Wolves as road favorites.

Minnesota has taken a step back this season, sitting at just one game over .500 after back-to-back losses. Last season, the Wolves were one of the three best teams in the West and won 56 games.

Guard Donte DiVincenzo has been ruled out for the Wolves tonight, but can they still find a way to cover to catch Dallas in the standings?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to watch in the prop market, and my prediction for this Western Conference battle.

Timberwolves vs. Mavericks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Timberwolves -2.5 (-112)
Mavs +2.5 (-108)

Moneyline

Timberwolves: -148
Mavs: +124

Total

216.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Timberwolves vs. Mavericks How to Watch

Date: Wednesday, Jan. 22
Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Venue: American Airlines Center
How to Watch (TV): ESPN
Timberwolves record: 22-21
Mavs record: 23-20

Timberwolves vs. Mavericks Injury Reports

Timberwolves Injury Report

Donte DiVincenzo – out
Jesse Edwards – out
Terrence Shannon Jr. – out
Tristen Newton – out

Mavs Injury Report

Luka Doncic – out
Dante Exum – out
Quentin Grimes – questionable
Jaden Hardy – out
Dereck Lively II – questionable
Naji Marshall – questionable
Dwight Powell – out
Klay Thompson – questionable

Timberwolves vs. Mavericks Best NBA Prop Bets

Minnesota Timberwolves Best NBA Prop Bet

Rudy Gobert OVER 9.5 Rebounds (-140)

This season, Gobert is averaging 10.3 rebounds per game, and he grabbed double-digit boards in his last matchup with Dallas.

With Lively questionable, this could end up being a great matchup for Gobert down low, as he has the size advantage over Daniel Gafford. On top of that, Dallas is just 21st in the NBA in opponent rebounds per game and 19th in rebounding percentage this season.

Gobert has at least 10 boards in 25 of his 43 games.

Dallas Mavericks Best NBA Prop Bet

Kyrie Irving OVER 2.5 3-Pointers Made (-130)

Earlier today, I shared my favorite prop bet for this matchup, as Kyrie Irving could be in line for a big game from beyond the arc:

Dallas guard Kyrie Irving is going to have a major workload on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves with Luka Doncic out and Klay Thompson questionable for this matchup.

Irving knocked down three shots from beyond the arc in each of his last two games, and he shot 5-for-14 from 3 against Minnesota back on Christmas Day. In fact, Irving has made at least three made shots from deep in eight of his 14 games since Dec. 1, shooting over 38 percent from deep over that stretch.

In games that Luka Doncic has in his career, Irving has cleared 2.5 made 3s in 17 of 24 of them. I love him to get to that number again on Wednesday.

Timberwolves vs. Mavericks Prediction and Pick

Dallas has slipped to just 10-11 this season when Doncic sits, and the Mavs are just 3-7 straight up in their last 10 games, falling from a top-four spot to the No. 7 spot in the West. Now, Dallas is just one game away from potentially falling out of the top eight in the West.

I can’t get behind the Mavs at this price, especially with players like Thompson, Lively, Grimes, and Marshall all potentially out for this matchup.

Dallas is just 26th in the NBA in offensive rating over its last 10 games – a massive drop off from its season-long offensive rating (eighth in the NBA).

On top of that, the Mavs have dropped outside the top 10 in defensive rating this season, ranking 18th in the league over their last 10 games.

Minnesota kept this Dallas offense in check for most of the game on Christmas, and the Wolves have been impressive on that end of the floor (seventh in defensive rating).

Overall, the Wolves are just 8-8 against the spread as road favorites, so I’ll just back them to win on Wednesday night.

Pick: Timberwolves Moneyline (-148)

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.