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Minnesota Timberwolves at New Orleans Pelicans

Minnesota Timberwolves vs New Orleans Pelicans head-to-head

NBAregular • 2026-27 Season
Scheduled
Pelicans logo
Pelicans
New Orleans
0
vs
Timberwolves logo
Timberwolves
Minnesota
0
NOP 23%77% MIN
Prediction Confidence:
Moderate

Minnesota Timberwolves 77% to win. The top 3 signals favoring Timberwolves:

  • Defensive Efficiency. Timberwolves defense (99.5 Opp PPG) better than Pelicans (121.5 Opp PPG)
  • Offensive Efficiency. Timberwolves offense (123.0 PPG) outpaces Pelicans (119.5 PPG)
  • ELO Rating. Pelicans ELO 1436 vs Timberwolves ELO 1566 (diff: -130)

What would change the call

Win probability if a leading factor were even

  • If the defensive efficiency edge were neutral: MIN 60% (−17)
  • If the offensive efficiency edge were neutral: MIN 68% (−9)
  • If the rating edge were neutral: MIN 73% (−4)
  • If the home-field edge were neutral: MIN 79% (+2)

Win probability movement

NOP home win probability as the model updated before the game

Home win probability movement28%22%17%Oct 24Oct 25

Labels mark updates of 5 points or more, named by the factor that moved most.

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VenueSmoothie King Center
New Orleans, LA

Team Comparison

Head-to-head snapshot based on our model inputs

Timberwolves (away)
Pelicans (home)
77%
Win probability
23%
1
High-impact factors
0
1
Players ruled out
1

Game Preview

Timberwolves at Pelicans

The Timberwolves visit the Pelicans at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA in 2026-27 NBA regular season play.

Our model gives the Timberwolves a 77% chance of winning, signaling a strong lean in this matchup. For the Pelicans to win, several key factors would need to swing their way.

Key factors driving this prediction:

  • Defensive Efficiency favors the Timberwolves (high): Timberwolves defense (99.5 Opp PPG) better than Pelicans (121.5 Opp PPG)
  • Offensive Efficiency favors the Timberwolves (medium): Timberwolves offense (123.0 PPG) outpaces Pelicans (119.5 PPG)
  • ELO Rating favors the Timberwolves (medium): Pelicans ELO 1436 vs Timberwolves ELO 1566 (diff: -130)
  • Both teams are dealing with injuries -- the Pelicans have 1 player(s) ruled out, while the Timberwolves have 1.
Timberwolves77%

is strongly favored to win

Key Factor
Defensive Efficiency
Favors MIN

Key Factors

What's driving the win probability for this game

  • Defensive EfficiencyFavors Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Offensive EfficiencyFavors Minnesota Timberwolves
  • ELO RatingFavors Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Home Field AdvantageFavors New Orleans Pelicans
  • InjuriesFavors New Orleans Pelicans
  • Rest DaysNeutral
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What's Driving This Game

Each factor's contribution to the final win probability

MIN
NOP
Defensive Efficiency
Offensive Efficiency
ELO Rating
Home Field Advantage
Injuries
Favours MIN|Favours NOP

Premium feature: factor breakdown

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Understanding the win probability calculation

Defensive Efficiency

Timberwolves defense (99.5 Opp PPG) better than Pelicans (121.5 Opp PPG)

Timberwolves

Offensive Efficiency

Timberwolves offense (123.0 PPG) outpaces Pelicans (119.5 PPG)

Timberwolves

Turnover Differential

Pelicans turnover differential (+0) vs Timberwolves (+0)

Neutral

1 factor not shown (insufficient data)

Model version: 1.1.0 • Calculated: 10/25/2026, 3:00:22 AM

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As of Oct 24, 2026

Pelicans

Yves MissiC(Knee)
OUT

Timberwolves

Donte DiVincenzoG(Achilles)
OUT

Key Players

Timberwolves

Jaylen ClarkG
Donte DiVincenzoGOUT
-5.0% win prob impact
Zyon PullinG
Terrence Shannon Jr.G
Ayo DosunmuG

Pelicans

Bennedict MathurinG
AJ JohnsonG
Jeremiah FearsG
Bryce McGowensG
Dejounte MurrayG

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Frequently Asked Questions

Pelicans has a 23% win probability, while Timberwolves has a 77% win probability based on our analysis.

Our model considers offensive and defensive efficiency, rest days, injury impact, and historical performance.

This game is being played at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA.

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