HOU
MIN
Houston Rockets @ Minnesota Timberwolves
Any-day matchup · ratings as of
Our pick
HOUHouston Rockets
51% to win
A probability, not a promise. A 51% pick still loses about 5 times in 10.
Advantages Why Rockets can win
- Simulation: the Rockets win 5,120 of 10,000 simulated games.
- Efficiency (points per 100 possessions): worth about 1.2 points to the Rockets in our ratings.
- Recent scoring margins: worth about 1.0 points to the Rockets in our ratings.
- Offensive rebounding (share of misses): Rockets 1st (34.3%), Timberwolves 13th (26.0%).
- Strength: the Rockets rank 1st of 30 in offensive rebounding (share of misses) (34.3%).
Disadvantages Why Rockets may not
- Upset odds: the Timberwolves win 4,880 of 10,000 simulations (49%). A 51% pick still loses about 5 times in 10.
- Home court: the Timberwolves play at home, worth about 2 points in today's NBA.
- Ball security (turnovers per 100 possessions): Timberwolves 16th (14.3), Rockets 26th (15.4).
- Range of outcomes: in the worst 10% of simulations the Rockets lose by 16 or more.
- Weak spot: the Rockets rank 26th of 30 in ball security (turnovers per 100 possessions) (15.4).
The line and our numbers
| Market | AZMango | |
|---|---|---|
| Spread | No line yet | HOU -0.5 |
| Total points | n/a | 227.7 |
| Win chance | HOU n/a · MIN n/a | HOU 51% · MIN 49% |
| Fair moneyline | HOU -105 · MIN +105 |
No betting line for this pairing. Odds change all the time, so check a sportsbook before acting on any number here.
10,000 simulated games, possession by possession
- Typical score: Timberwolves 114, Rockets 115.
- 80% of simulations land between Rockets by 17 and Timberwolves by 16.
Side by side
| HOU | MIN | |
|---|---|---|
| 5-0 | Record | 3-2 |
| +5.2 6 | Net rating | +2.6 11 |
| 114.6 8 | Offensive rating | 112.7 13 |
| 109.4 6 | Defensive rating | 110.1 8 |
| 54.0% 18 | Effective FG% | 55.1% 9 |
| 53.0% 6 | Opponent eFG% | 52.8% 5 |
| 15.4 26 | Turnovers per 100 | 14.3 16 |
| 34.3% 1 | Offensive rebound % | 26.0% 13 |
| 36.2% 11 | 3-point % | 36.7% 6 |
| 100.0 27 | Pace | 103.8 10 |
Small numbers are league ranks (1 = best of 30; pace 1 = fastest). Ratings are points per 100 possessions (2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons).
Last 5 meetings
| Date | Season | Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-10 | 2025-26 | MIN 136 @ HOU 132 | MIN |
| 2026-03-25 | 2025-26 | HOU 108 @ MIN 110 | MIN |
| 2026-01-16 | 2025-26 | MIN 105 @ HOU 110 | HOU |
| 2025-02-21 | 2024-25 | MIN 115 @ HOU 121 | HOU |
| 2025-02-06 | 2024-25 | HOU 114 @ MIN 127 | MIN |
No betting line exists for a game that isn't scheduled, so this uses our own power ratings (in the backtest they pick about 66% of winners, against about 68% for the closing line), with both teams at full strength.
Basis: power ratings only (no betting line yet). 10,000 simulated games, checked against a walk-forward backtest of 10,227 NBA games since 2018-19. Model version 1. How it works