The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Minnesota Timberwolves are facing off this Friday in the first game of a back-to-back home-and-away set. Check out our preview of this matchup below.

Catch this game live on Friday, January 9, 2026 at 9:00 AM, Manila time

Away: Cleveland Cavaliers (21-17, 8-8  Away)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Darius Garland
  • Donovan Mitchell
  • De’Andre Hunter
  • Evan Mobley
  • Jarrett Allen 

The 2025-26 NBA season is not turning out to be the same one that Cleveland had in the last campaign. The Cavs lost just 18 games last season. This time around, they already have 17 defeats, and it’s only the second week of January. 

That being said, the Cavaliers are picking up steam of late. They have gone 4-1 in their last five games, and the only loss in that stretch was a four-point setback at the hands of a very good Detroit Pistons team at home. In their most recent outing, the Cavs defeated the Indiana Pacers on the road on Wednesday, 120-116, without Donovan Mitchell, who was on maintenance day. Mitchell is no longer on Cleveland’s injury report, so expect him to be on the court versus the Timberwolves. 

On the season, Cleveland is averaging 119.2 points per game and allowing 116.8 per contest.

Home: Minnesota Timberwolves (24-13, 13-6 Home)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Donte DiVincenzo
  • Anthony Edwards
  • Jaden McDaniels
  • Julius Randle
  • Rudy Gobert

The Timberwolves are in fine form as well, having won all of their last three games and going 4-1 in their past four. They are coming off a 122094 crushing of the Miami Heat at home. Minnesota has looked unstoppable on offense of late. 

The Timberwolves have averaged 129.3 points in their last three games, the best in the league over the same stretch. They also shot 52.0 percent from the field in that contest, and one can only imagine how much better their offense would have been had they shot even slightly better than the 31.6 percent they managed from deep.

But Minnesota is also doing work on defense. On the season, Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves are 10th in the NBA with just 114.1 points allowed per contest and fourth with a defensive 52.4 eFG%.

Picks

Spread: Cleveland Cavaliers  (+2.5)
Over/Under: Under (240.5)