As NBA teams continue their preseason preparations, the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves are set to face off in a friendly encounter. Despite the preseason nature of the game, Dailysports analysts have prepared their betting prediction for this matchup.

New York Knicks

The Knicks had a strong performance last season, finishing second in the Eastern Conference, behind only the dominant Boston Celtics. They reached the quarterfinals in the playoffs but were narrowly defeated by the Indiana Pacers in a 3-4 series.

During the offseason, the Knicks made some notable acquisitions, bringing in Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn and Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota. Jalen Brunson remains the team’s leader, having averaged over 29 points per game with 7 assists last season. In the preseason so far, New York has secured wins over the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards, showing they will be a serious threat this upcoming season.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota had a breakout season last year, impressing in the regular season and reaching the semifinals, where they fell to the Dallas Mavericks 1-4 in the series.

In the preseason, the Timberwolves have recorded victories against the Los Angeles Lakers (124-107) and the Philadelphia 76ers (121-111). However, their offseason decision to trade Karl-Anthony Towns has raised some eyebrows, as he was one of their key players. Despite this, they still boast a strong core, with Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and other solid contributors. Nevertheless, the trade has introduced some uncertainty to their roster.

Head-to-Head

These teams have a long history of matchups. In the previous regular season, they played three times, with Minnesota winning two of the three encounters.

Prediction

Preseason games can be unpredictable, as teams may not always be fully motivated or playing at maximum intensity. Both the Knicks and Timberwolves are in good form and will be looking to extend their winning streaks. With the pressure off, we can expect an open, high-scoring game. A bet on total points over 220.5 seems like a solid choice given the offensive firepower of both teams.