Timberwolves visit first-place Rockets in Houston

Houston sits first in the Western Conference at 7-1 and has not lost at home, going 4-0 at Toyota Center. The Rockets are 4-1 over their last five, with a recent run of WWLWW. Minnesota arrives at 5-3 and seventh in the West, and the Timberwolves are 2-2 on the road.

The Timberwolves have cooled. Their last five read WLWLL, a 2-3 stretch that leaves them a step behind the pace Houston is setting. Tipoff is Wednesday at 8:30 PM ET.

Chirp's Sim, run 10,000 times, likes the Rockets at 59%, with the Timberwolves winning 41% of the time. Its most likely final is Rockets 116, Timberwolves 113. The Sim leans on form, with Houston 4-1 in its last five and Minnesota 2-3.