Who’s Playing
Minnesota @ Boston
Current Records: Minnesota 16-16; Boston 22-10
What to Know
The Boston Celtics are 11-2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves since December of 2015, and they’ll have a chance to extend that success Friday. The Celtics will play host again and welcome Minnesota to TD Garden, where tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they’ll have plenty of motivation to get the ‘W.’
It looks like Boston must have gotten on Santa’s naughty list since the team didn’t end up with the win they were expected to receive on Wednesday. They were within striking distance but couldn’t close the gap as they fell 117-112 to the Indiana Pacers. The losing side was boosted by power forward Jayson Tatum, who had 41 points along with five boards. Tatum’s night made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least 31 points.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves were within striking distance but couldn’t close the gap on Wednesday as they fell 104-99 to the Dallas Mavericks. Shooting guard Jaylen Nowell had a rough night: he played for 26 minutes but put up just four points on 2-for-12 shooting.
The Celtics are the favorite in this one, with an expected 9.5-point margin of victory. Now might not be the best time to take Boston against the spread since they’ve let down bettors for the past three consecutive games.
The losses put Boston at 22-10 and Minnesota at 16-16. Two offensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Boston comes into the game boasting the second most points per game in the league at 118. The Timberwolves have displayed some offensive firepower of their own as they enter the contest with a 49% field goal percentage, good for third best in the league.
How To Watch
- When: Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: TD Garden — Boston, Massachusetts
- TV: Bally Sports – North
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Ticket Cost: $50.00
Odds
The Celtics are a big 9.5-point favorite against the Timberwolves, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 9.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
Over/Under: -110
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Series History
Boston have won 11 out of their last 13 games against Minnesota.
- Mar 27, 2022 – Boston 134 vs. Minnesota 112
- Dec 27, 2021 – Minnesota 108 vs. Boston 103
- May 15, 2021 – Boston 124 vs. Minnesota 108
- Apr 09, 2021 – Boston 145 vs. Minnesota 136
- Feb 21, 2020 – Boston 127 vs. Minnesota 117
- Jan 02, 2019 – Boston 115 vs. Minnesota 102
- Dec 01, 2018 – Boston 118 vs. Minnesota 109
- Mar 08, 2018 – Boston 117 vs. Minnesota 109
- Jan 05, 2018 – Boston 91 vs. Minnesota 84
- Mar 15, 2017 – Boston 117 vs. Minnesota 104
- Nov 21, 2016 – Boston 99 vs. Minnesota 93
- Feb 22, 2016 – Minnesota 124 vs. Boston 122
- Dec 21, 2015 – Boston 113 vs. Minnesota 99
