Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies Prediction and Odds for January 20: Ja, Ant Man go Toe-to-Toe

The Minnesota Timberwolves (22-20) are still looking to regain the form that propelled them to a Western Conference Finals last year as they travel to meet the Memphis Grizzlies (27-15), who are 15-5 in their building.

Minnesota is yet to establish any sort of consistency and fell to the league’s best team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, their last time on the court. They also lost to the Grizzlies by two points as Anthony Edwards’ last-gasp three ended off the mark when they played on Jan. 11.

The Grizz won back-to-back games against the San Antonio Spurs to hold onto third in the Western Conference, five games above the Wolves. This is their first home game in 11 days, when they lost to the Houston Rockets, 119-115.

Here, we will analyze the matchup and share our favorite Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies betting picks.

Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies Betting Odds for Monday, January 20

The Timberwolves are 16-25-1 (39 percent) against the spread, tying them for the third-worst mark in the league. They’re also 4-3-1 (57.1 percent) ATS as an underdog and 12-10 (54.6 percent) ATS on the road.

The Grizzlies are 28-14 (66.7 percent) ATS, the third-best mark in the league. They’re also 14-6 (70 percent) ATS at home and 18-9 (66.7 percent) ATS as a favorite. 

Odds for the Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies game are courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Head over to BetMGM to place your bets and Get Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets*.

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Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies Prediction

Minnesota Timberwolves Preview

The rest of the Timberwolves’ season is going to be dedicated to restoring their identity and level of comfort with their system.

The Wolves took down the then-defending champion Denver Nuggets in seven games, including a 20-point comeback in Game Seven, to advance to the conference finals a year ago. They looked like a team on the rise and one that would be a perennial contender for years to come.

The decision to trade Karl-Anthony Towns ultimately has not had the desired effect as the Wolves sit at just 22-20. They’re seventh in defensive and 15th in offensive rating, resulting in a net rating of +1.9 (12th). They’re also 15th in rebound rate and 24th in turnover frequency, meaning they aren’t winning within the margins. 

One positive is that Minnesota recently remembered how to shoot the three ball, rising up to fourth in efficiency (38 percent) after a sluggish start. They’re also sixth in three-point percentage allowed (35), which means they at least put themselves in a position to succeed in the most important area of the game.

Looking back at Minnesota’s previous encounter with Memphis, They shot 56.6 percent from the floor and 40.5 percent from three, but they lost the rebound and turnover battles. Anthony Edwards also had just 15 points, while Donte DiVincenzo had a team-high 27, and Naz Reid added 19 points off the bench.

Edwards averaged 33.3 points and scored 28 or more points in all four games since then.

Memphis Grizzlies Preview

The Grizzlies’ defining characteristic is balance. They played as many as 12- or 13-man rotations and often did not play anyone more than 30 minutes in order to preserve their health and to keep them fresh for the postseason.

Despite their stars seeing less time than virtually every team in the league, the Grizzlies are fifth in offensive and sixth in defensive rating, leading to them outscoring their opponents by 7.5 points per 100 possessions. 

Memphis is also second in rebound rate, though they turn the ball over at the sixth-highest frequency. They make up for that by holding teams to the second-lowest field goal percentage and ranking second in second-chance points, sixth in fastbreak points, and seventh in points off turnovers.

The Grizz also defend the heck out of the perimeter, allowing their opponents to shoot just 34.8 percent from range. They’re also the most improved distance shooting team in the league, going from 34.6 percent (29th) last season to 37.3 percent (eighth) this time around.

Jaren Jackson Jr. played a team-high 34 minutes the last time Memphis played Minnesota, going for 33 points and eight rebounds. 

Meanwhile, Ja Morant is going to need to step up in this matchup. He averaged 22.3 points and 5.8 assists on just 27.3 percent three-point shooting in January.

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Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies Betting Pick

• Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies pick: Timberwolves +6.5 (-110) at BetMGM

The Timberwolves have a strong upside, but the Grizzlies have been more consistent. 

That said, the Wolves weirdly played better on the road than they did at home, going 12-10 with a net rating of +2.1. However, the Grizzlies’ +11.6 net rating at home is third, falling behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cavs.

We see this matchup being pretty close considering these teams played each other to two points just a few days ago. We’d take the Wolves to cover in a hard-nosed matchup between two Western Conference foes that live for intense matchups.

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How to Watch Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies on 1/20/25

• When: Monday, January 20 @ 1:30/2:30 p.m. CT/ET

• Where: FedEx Forum, Memphis, TN

• TV: TNT/truTV/Max

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