Minnesota Timberwolves vs Orlando Magic Prediction, 1/9/2025 Preview and Pick

Game: Minnesota Timberwolves vs Orlando Magic

Date: Thursday, January 9, 2025

Location: Kia Center in Orlando, FL

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Kia Center is the site where the Orlando Magic (22-16) will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves (19-17) on Thursday.

The Timberwolves took the court against the Pelicans and earned the victory with a final of 104-97 in their last game. Minnesota ended with a 42.7% field goal percentage (38 out of 89) and buried 15 of their 44 3-point shots. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Timberwolves converted 13 of 19 attempts for a rate of 68.4%. Concerning pulling down boards, they collected 53 with 11 of them being of the offensive variety. They also doled out 26 assists in this matchup in addition to creating 14 turnovers and having 9 steals. In reference to defending, Minnesota let their opponent shoot 37.2% from the field on 35 out of 94 shooting. New Orleans distributed 23 assists and had 12 steals for this game. On top of that, New Orleans snagged 46 rebounds (13 offensive, 33 defensive) and got 8 rejections. New Orleans ended up going 62.5% at the charity stripe by knocking down 15 of 24 attempts. They buried 12 of their 41 attempts from distance. When it comes to personal fouls, the Timberwolves finished with 17 and the Pelicans finished the game with 18 personal fouls.

Anthony Edwards is one guy who was important for the matchup. He walked away with 32 points on 10 out of 21 shooting. He was on the hardwood for 38 mins and snagged 9 boards. Edwards finished shooting 47.6% from the field and also earned 3 dimes.

Get all of our NBA Betting Picks

Minnesota will take the court with a record of 19-17 on the campaign. They are averaging 109.1 pts per game (23rd in basketball) while going 45.7% from the field. The Timberwolves are shooting 37.8% on shots from 3-point land (545 of 1,443) and 78.3% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Minnesota is snagging 43.4 rebounds per game and has accounted for 894 dimes on the season, which is 22nd in basketball in terms of passing the rock. They lose possession via turnover 15.9 times per game and as a unit are committing 18.1 fouls every game.

On defense, the Timberwolves are able to force 15.2 turnovers per game while drawing 18.6 personal fouls. They give up 34.4% on shots from beyond the arc and they are 4th in the league in PPG allowed (107.7). The Timberwolves defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 45.6% (1,439 of 3,154) and they surrender 43.2 rebounds per game as a unit. They are ranked 5th in basketball in giving up assists to the opposition with 876 surrendered so far this season.

When they last stepped on the court, the Magic took home the win by a final score of 103-94 when they faced the Knicks. The Magic corralled 30 defensive boards and 9 offensive boards totaling 39 in the game. They coughed up the ball 12 times, while getting 7 steals for this game. The Knicks earned 18 personal fouls in this contest which took the Magic to the free throw line for a total of 18 attempts. They were able to make 14 of the free throw tries for a rate of 77.8%. With respect to shooting from beyond the arc, Orlando buried 11 of their 31 tries (35.5%). When this game wrapped up, the Magic went 39 out of 78 from the field which gave them a percentage of 50.0%. The Magic allowed the Knicks to make 36 of their 81 tries from the floor which had them at 44.4% for this game. They finished shooting 18.2% from three-point range by going 4 out of 22 and walked away from this one shooting 18 out of 22 at the free throw line (81.8%). When it comes to attacking the glass, Orlando allowed New York to grab 38 in all (11 on the offensive glass).

Cole Anthony pitched in for the Magic for the game. He converted 9 of 18 in this matchup for a rate of 50.0%, and had 7 rebounds. Anthony earned 24 points in his 37 mins on the court and accumulated 4 assists in this contest.

Orlando has a record of 22-16 for the year. The Magic are committing 20.2 fouls per contest and they connect on 78.5% from the charity stripe. They are assisting teammates 23.8 times per contest (26th in the league) and they turn it over 15.2 times per game. Orlando has accounted for 3,998 pts on the campaign (105.2 per contest) and they collect 41.5 rebounds per game. As an offense, the Magic are connecting on 44.7% from the floor, which has them ranked 26th in the league.

The Magic are ranked 2nd in the league in points given up per game with 103.2. They are able to force 17.1 turnovers per game and have let teams shoot 46.4% from the floor (15th in basketball). The Orlando defense allows 36.0% on shots from 3-point land (423 of 1,175) and opponents are making 77.1% of their free throw shots. They have conceded 22.3 assists and 40.6 rebounds every game, ranking them 1st and 1st in the league.

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Minnesota

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here