The upstart Minnesota Timberwolves get set to take on the young Orlando Magic Friday night inside the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They jump it at 8:00 pm as the Magic look to win their second in a row and enjoy a brief winning streak, while Minnesota will be looking for their third straight win overall.  Bookmaker has installed the Timberwolves as a heavy 7.5 point favorite in this clash. 

The Timberwolves (34-14) have played brilliantly this season and they have the look and poise of a team that is ready to take that next step and make a deep run come playoff time. They have a ton of talent and they play both ends of the floor night in and night out. 

On offense, they are led by Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards, who are both averaging over 20 points per game. Both have turned into a big-time 1-2 punch and both have also stepped up their game on the defensive side of the floor, especially when it comes to rebuilding and doing the dirty work.

Edwards has shown he will not shy away from taking the big shot and he is very content with putting the ball on the floor and going right to the rim. Towns, however, has dominated the paint at times and the glass, as he hauls down 7.3 boards per night. They love to get up and down the floor and this is a team that is not afraid to exchange buckets with any team in the league. 

They will be at full strength in this game and that will make all the difference in the world. This is a game they should be able to pull away in the fourth quarter and cover the number. 

The Magic (25-23) are not on the same level as Minnesota is, but they have some nice young building blocks that they will put on display when these two teams tip off. One of them is power forward Paolo Banchero, who is averaging a team-high 23 points per contest to go along with seven boards per contest.

Orlando is going to try to slow down the pace and the tempo and not allow Minnesota to get up and down the floor. They will not be able to match point for point with Minnesota, so they will have to play solid defense too. They need to make sure they guard the perimeter too and not allow the Timberwolves to get open looks and shots. 

Overall, they connect on 53% from the floor, including 34% from beyond the arc. 

Minnesota is 4-1 in their last five games and 3-2 in their last five games against the spread. They are 12-13 in their road games against the spread and the totals have gone over in none out of their last five games. The totals have gone over in eight out of their last 22 games at home. The Magic are 2-3 in their last five games and 3-2 in their last five games against the spread and the totals have gone over in three out of their last five games. The totals have gone over in nine out of their last 22 games at home.