3 Best NBA Bets and Player Props for Timberwolves at Rockets

Even within a single NBA game, betting markets are abundant.

You can bet traditional markets like the spread or the total, but we've also got tons of player-prop markets to sift through.

Which bets stand out today as the Minnesota Timberwolves face the Houston Rockets?

Let's dig into the best bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA betting odds, utilizing FanDuel Research's NBA projections to try to find value.

Timberwolves at Rockets Betting Picks

Over 220.0 Points (-110)

On the surface, Friday's bout between the Rockets and Timberwolves pits two stout defensive teams against each other. Houston is fourth in adjusted defensive rating (109.3) and third in effective field-goal percentage allowed (52.3%) while Minnesota is fifth in adjusted defensive rating (109.8) and fifth in effective field-goal percentage allowed (52.7%).

However, the Rockets and T-Wolves are also both in the top half of the league in adjusted offensive rating, with Houston sitting at 11th (113.9) and Minnesota at 14th (113.8). While neither team operates at a particularly fast pace, we've seen 225-plus points scored in the previous three meetings between the Rockets and Timberwolves this season.

In addition to the previous matchups featuring a decent amount of points, there's a chance Rudy Gobert is either limited or inactive for the Timberwolves, carrying a questionable tag due to a back injury. Along with Gobert ranking 14th in block percentage (4.3%), the veteran big man is 8th in defensive win shares (3.0) across his 55 starts.

On the other hand, Fred VanVleet -- who is 29th in defensive win shares (2.2) and 27th in defensive box plus-minus (1.3) -- is unavailable for the Rockets. With both teams potentially missing some of their better defenders and deploying capable offenses, the over is certainly obtainable.

Jalen Green Over 29.5 Pts + Reb + Ast (-102)

As mentioned above, VanVleet is inactive for the Rockets, as he's set to miss his eighth consecutive contest. Over his seven-game absence, Jalen Green has shouldered more of the offensive workload, averaging 19.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 4.3 APG on a 27.4% usage rate during that span.

Despite Green's numbers actually being down in VanVleet's absence, his averages are certainly skewed due to a nine-point outing his last time out. Since the start of January, Green has achieved 30-plus PRAs in 17 of his 23 starts across that sample.

According to FantasyLabs' On/Off tool, Green leads Houston in usage rate (29.2%) and points (23.7) per 36 minutes whenever VanVleet isn't on the court. On top of that, Green is posting 4.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists per 36 minutes without VanVleet on the floor this season, giving him an average of 32.4 PRAs per 36 minutes in that situation.

Whenever the Rockets squared off against the Timberwolves earlier this month sans VanVleet, Green produced 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Being that Minnesota is also 23rd in offensive turnover rate (14.6%) and 26th in steal rate allowed (9.2%), Green and the Rockets should come up with some extra possessions, as well.

Naz Reid to Record a Double Double (+230)

While it remains to be seen if Gobert is able to suit up for the Timberwolves on Friday, Julius Randle is already slated to miss his ninth straight outing. In Randle's absence, Minnesota has inserted Naz Reid into their starting lineup.

Following his first start without Randle where he notched only eight points and three rebounds in 19 minutes, Reid is registering 21.3 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 4.0 APG, and 1.4 BPG on a solid 57.7% effective field-goal percentage across his last seven starts. Furthermore, Reid has recorded a double-double in four of his eight starts without Randle while he's brought down eight-plus rebounds in five of those eight contests.

Over his last seven starts, Reid is second on the Timberwolves in rebound chances per game (15.7) during that span, and he's converting a formidable 60.9% of those chances. It goes without saying that Reid's odds of dominating the glass skyrocket if Gobert is also ruled out, so getting him to record a double-double at these odds could be seen as a value before injury updates occur later.

The Rockets aren't an overly efficient shooting team, ranking 28th in effective field-goal percentage (51.1%), which should increase the number of rebounds Reid has an opportunity to grab. In the previous meeting between Houston and Minnesota earlier this month, Reid logged 15 points and 11 rebounds in 35 minutes of action, and he'll be needed for plenty of minutes with Randle still unable to suit up.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.