The Minnesota Timberwolves earned a much-needed win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, despite a 3-for-13 shooting night from Anthony Edwards.

Now, the Wolves hit the road to play James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers, who are off to a great start in the 2024-25 season considering they haven’t had Kawhi Leonard (knee) all season long.

The Clippers played the Portland Trail Blazers in an NBA Cup clash on Tuesday and picked up a 22-point win, improving them to 9-4 straight up at home this season. Norman Powell led the way again for the Clippers, scoring 30 points in Tuesday’s win. 

With the Wolves struggling to start the season, does Monday’s win act as a springboard for them in the 2024-25 season?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, best prop bets and my prediction for this Western Conference battle.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Moneyline

Total

Timberwolves Injury Report

Clippers Injury Report

Minnesota Timberwolves Best NBA Prop Bets

I’m buying low on Julius Randle after a poor rebounding game – he finished with just five boards and three assists in Monday’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Randle has cleared 10.5 rebounds and assists in 11 of his 20 games this season, and in previous seasons he’s pushed double-digit boards as his season average.

While that doesn’t look like it’ll happen this season, Jules is still averaging 6.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per night. 

Los Angeles Clippers Best NBA Prop Bets

If Powell suits up on the second night of a back-to-back, he’s a must bet in the prop market.

After missing some time with a hamstring injury, the sharpshooting guard has returned to the lineup to score 28 and 30 points in his last two games, pushing his season average to 23.9 points per game. He’s shooting an impressive 50.5 percent from the field and 50.7 percent from 3.

Powell has 20 or more points in 13 of his 17 games this season, making him an absolute steal at this number on Wednesday. 

The Clippers have not fared well on the second night of back-to-backs this season, covering in just two of their five tries, but I’m going to back them in this matchup.

Los Angeles is 5-2 against the spread as home underdog this season, and it’s an impressive 9-4 straight up and against the spread at Intuit Dome this season. 

After winning by 22 on Tuesday, the Clippers may have more players available than we’d expect on the second night of a back-to-back, as James Harden was the only player to play more than 30 minutes last night. 

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are just 3-6 straight up on the road this season, going 3-5 ATS as road favorites. They’ve posted a -2.6 net rating on the road in the 2024-25 campaign while the Clippers rank 11th in the NBA in net rating at home (+5.5).

As long as Harden, Powell and Ivica Zubac are in action on Wednesday, the Clippers are live to pull off the upset. 

Pick: Clippers +2.5 (-108)

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.