Defense Is Optional As Cavs Take On Timberwolves

Cavaliers vs. Timberwolves, 8:00 ET

My last NBA play went down because I talked myself out of a bet and into a different version of it. Instead of taking the original bet I had, I swapped it for a combo. I hate those bets, and I did it anyway. No one really ever talks about discipline and how much you need as a sports bettor. The best gamblers, and probably the best at anything in life, are those who stick to the discipline. I need to be better. I have a bet that I'm digging my toes into the stand on today as the Cavs take on the Timberwolves on Thursday night.

The Cavs are going to cost me a bunch of money this year because I thought they were actually good. At 21-17, if this team sneaks into the playoffs with an opening round home court advantage, it will be a shock. That isn't to say they haven't had moments of being good. They've won four of the past five games, and they are still over .500, so I guess you can't think they are fully a disaster. The success of last season is just that, last season. There have been injuries, which I suppose you can blame some of the lack of consistent play on, and some other teams have gotten better as well. However, the reality is that this is a wide open year for the Eastern Conference with only the Knicks really looking like a team that has the combination of talent and experience to reach the Finals. Cleveland, behind Donovan Mitchell, could've taken advantage of the injuries to the Pacers and Celtics, and maybe they will. Maybe there is a second gear they will put it in when they make the playoffs. Whatever the case may be, this is not the same dominant team as last year. 

Cleveland Cavaliers SG Donovan Mitchell shoots over Boston Celtics SG Derrick White at TD Garden. (Photo credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images) 

The Timberwolves are in a decent position at the moment with a 24-13 record. I think you can attribute almost all of that to having the best shooting guard in the NBA on their roster. Anthony Edwards continues to develop, and after making the Conference Finals a couple of times, has his sights set on the next level. They continue to be tied to every point guard in the market - Trae Young was just traded, but probably wasn't realistic for the Timberwolves anyway. Minnesota is playing well at the moment, also posting a 4-1 mark over its past five games. What stands out about these two clubs to me is how evenly matched they seem to be. They are both scoring about the same per game at roughly 119 per game. They both are allowing 114 or more per game, and then every other key stat - field goals, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals, are all within one of each other. However, the Timberwolves have three more wins and four fewer losses, so maybe that means their execution down the stretch is different, or it means the Cavs have had a tougher schedule. Perhaps it means nothing at all. 

What stands out most to me about the two teams lately is the scoring. Both are playing in rather high scoring games, and this one has a high total as well with a 238.5 total, assuming that both with reach their 119 per game scoring average. The line did move in favor of the Cavs, but I'm not quite sure that's the right side. I can see a case for both sides, but I do lean toward the Timberwolves winning the game. I'd avoid the spread and just play the moneyline. I'm going to take the over in this game, though as neither team has done a great job lately at stopping their opponent. I think Mitchell and Edwards are both going to try to put on a show tonight. 

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024