Minnesota Timberwolves vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction 5-30-24 Picks

The Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves duke it out at the Target Center in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Thursday night. Here’s a Minnesota Timberwolves vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction.

Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks will be hoping to bounce back in this one after missing out on a chance to close out the series in a 105-100 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 4 on Tuesday. Luka Doncic caught fire early and led the way with a triple-double of 28 points with 15 rebounds and 10 assists, Kyrie Irving added 16 points, Jaden Hardy chipped in with 13 points in just 12 minutes off the bench while Daniel Gafford tallied 12 points with eight rebounds and three blocks. As a team, the Mavericks shot just 42 percent from the field and 14 of 40 from the 3-point line as they clawed their way back from an early 12-point deficit to take the narrow lead at halftime, only to come up short in the second half where the Timberwolves got hot. The Mavericks just weren’t connecting on the open looks they usually make with Doncic shooting just seven of 21 from the field, Irving shooting six of 18 from the field and PJ Washington shooting just three of 13 from the field.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves needed to come out swinging to avoid getting swept and they did just enough to get the job done with their season on the line. It all started with Anthony Edwards who led the way with 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, Karl-Anthony Towns finally started making shots to finish with 25 points on nine of 13 shooting while Rudy Gobert tallied 13 points with 10 rebounds. As a team, the Timberwolves shot a Healthy 52 percent from the field and 11 of 24 from the 3-point line as they set the tone with their defense, holding the Mavericks to just 20 points in the first quarter before they went on a pivotal 8-0 run in the third quarter to start to pull away and escape with the crucial victory.

Why the Dallas Mavericks will win

• The Mavericks have won each of their last four playoff games as road underdogs.
• The Timberwolves have lost four of their last five playoff games as home favorites.
• The Mavericks have covered the spread in each of their last nine Thursday games.
• The Timberwolves have failed to cover the spread in each of their last five home games against Southwest Division opponents.

Minnesota Timberwolves Player Facts

• Rudy Gobert ranks 2nd amongst qualified players for rebounds per game (12.9) this season.
• Mike Conley ranks 3rd amongst qualified players for 3P% (44.2%) this season.

Dallas Mavericks Player Facts

• Luka Doncic ranks 1st amongst qualified players for points per game (33.9) this season.
• Daniel Gafford ranks 1st amongst qualified players for FG% (72.5%) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

• The Timberwolves rank 1st in the league for opponent points per game this season (106.5).
• The Timberwolves rank 1st in the league for opponent field goal percentage this season (45.0%).
• The Mavericks rank 2nd in the league for opponent blocks per game this season (4.0).
• The Mavericks rank 2nd in the league for three-point field goal attempts per game this season (39.5).

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction

The Mavericks could be shorthanded for this one with Luka Doncic and Maxi Kleber both listed as questionable, while the Timberwolves are keeping an eye on Mike Conley, who is questionable also. This is certainly a Game where you want to check the lineups before tipoff, but at the moment I am leaning towards the Mavericks to get the job done as underdogs assuming that Doncic is available. The Timberwolves were good enough to stave off elimination thanks to big Games from Edwards and Towns. The Mavericks have already won two road Games in this series and I don’t see Doncic, Irving and Washington shooting so poorly for the second Game in a row. This should be a close one, so I am taking the Mavericks with the points in this spot.