Sean Barnard details his preview and prediction for Wednesday’s game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic.

Seven games of NBA action are on the slate tonight, with the regular season winding down. Tipping off at 7:10 p.m. ET, the Minnesota Timberwolves will be facing off with the Orlando Magic.

This is the second and final match between these two cross-conference opponents this season. The Magic picked up a 119-92 victory in the first game, which took place on March 7. These teams have very different outlooks for playoff implications, with Minnesota seemingly allowing some strategic rest ahead of this matchup and playing on the second half of a back-to-back.

Looking at the odds for tonight, the Magic enter as 9.5-point favorites and hold -375 odds of winning outright on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Timberwolves hold +295 odds of winning outright with the game total set at 228.5 points.

Let’s dive into my preview and prediction for this Wednesday night matchup.

Timberwolves at Magic preview, prediction

The Minnesota Timberwolves hold a 47-32 record this season, which places them in sixth place in the Western Conference. Their playoff outlook is largely sealed, with basketball reference giving them a 99.7% chance of finishing in the sixth seed and just a 0.3% chance of passing the Rockets to climb into fifth. They enter this matchup coming off a victory over the Pacers in their previous game, but they have dropped four of their past six games. On the season, the Timberwolves have gone 34-45 against the spread, and the game total has remained under in 45 of their 79 games played.

Minnesota has a loaded injury report for this matchup. Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Ayo Dosunmu and Mike Conley have all been ruled out for tonight, while Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert are considered questionable. Of the available bodies, Naz Reid will headline the production with 13.6 points and 6.2 rebounds. Bones Hyland has had a bit of a resurgent season, posting averages of 8.5 points and 2.7 assists this season, and he has scored 18+ points in three straight games entering tonight. Donte DiVincenzo, Jaylen Clark and Joan Beringer also play notable roles.

As a team, the Timberwolves rank seventh in the league in scoring by dropping 117.6 points per game. They also rank 12th in offensive rating, ninth in field-goal percentage and sixth in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 114.1 points per game against the Timberwolves, which ranks 11th in the league. Minnesota also ranks fifth in defensive rating, seventh in opponent field-goal percentage and 13th in opponent three-point percentage.

The Orlando Magic currently sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a 43-36 record on the season. Their playoff race is much more competitive, as Orlando is tied with the 76ers in record, one game behind the Raptors in the sixth seed and holding a half-game advantage over the Hornets in the ninth seed. The Magic enter this game on a three-game winning streak and will hope to carry this momentum into tonight. On the season, they have gone 36-43 against the spread, and the game total is 43-36 to the over/under.

Orlando offers a cleaner injury report for this matchup. Jett Howard and Jonathan Isaac have been ruled out, while Wendell Carter Jr. and Jamal Cain are listed as questionable. Paolo Banchero headlines the production, posting averages of 22.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. Franz Wagner has battled injuries this year, but he is averaging 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists across his 31 games played. Desmond Bane has settled into his role, adding 20.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Anthony Black has had a breakout season, adding 15.3 points, 3.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds, while Jalen Suggs, Tristan da Silva and Goga Bitadze also play key roles.

Jamahl Mosley’s squad is scoring 115.5 points per game, which ranks 16th in the league. The Magic also rank 19th in offensive rating, 21st in field-goal percentage and 26th in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 115.2 points per game against the Magic, which ranks 13th in the league. Orlando also ranks 13th in defensive rating, 20th in opponent field-goal percentage and ninth in opponent three-point percentage.

Timberwolves at Magic prediction, best bet

Minnesota has not exactly hid that it is willing to throw away this game and prioritize rest in this final stretch of the season, with its playoff seeding largely locked up. But this is a Magic team that has struggled to blow out inferior teams all season. Their lacking of a killer instinct is among their biggest criticisms, even with them showing an improved level of play as of late.

Orlando’s 36-43 against the spread record is tied for the ninth-worst rate in the league. It is also 4-7 against the spread when favored by 8.5-points or greater, 16-26 against the spread following a win, 20-28 against the spread as a favorite and 12-17 ATS as a home favorite. Even with Minnesota extremely shorthanded, I struggle to fully buy into this becoming a blowout.

Instead, I am backing the game total to remain under in this matchup. Orlando has embraced more of a defensive mindset in the home stretch of the season. It held the Pelicans to 108 on Sunday and the Pistons to 107 on Monday in its past two matchups. Expect this to come into play, especially with the Timberwolves set to be without at least their top two scorers.

This is an important game for the Magic if they are to keep their hopes alive of leaping into the top six of the Eastern Conference and escape the play-in mix. Expect them to be completely comfortable playing at a slow pace and soaking up the shot clock once they gain a lead. Minnesota lacks the necessary level of offensive creators given the limitations of the injury report, so expect points to be difficult to come by in this matchup. Both these teams have flashes of elite defense with some offensive shortcomings. The game total finished at 211 in the first matchup between these two teams, with both teams closer to full strength. Count on this being a defensive-minded matchup with the 228.5-point total being too high.

Best Bet: Game Total Under 228.5 (-105)