One of the keys in betting the first half of NBA games is not always about finding a hot team, but one that’s desperate.

That leads us to the prediction for Tuesday night’s Minnesota Timberwolves-Brooklyn Nets matchup.

The Timberwolves have lost three in a row, including Sunday’s record betting loss against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Before that, the Wolves had run off four straight victories.

That losing streak has Minnesota on the edge of the playoffs and barely hanging on to a play-in berth.

At 39-40, it sits in the 9th spot, one game ahead of the No. 10 Oklahoma City Thunder and two games ahead of the No. 11 Dallas Mavericks.

So what makes this an enticing first-half bet?

Spread: Timberwolves -0.5 (-115) vs. Nets +0.5 (-105)

Moneyline: Timberwolves (-135) vs. Nets (-550) 

Total: Over 115.5 (-110) | Under 115.5 (-110) 

The value for Minnesota is not in how it finishes, but in how it starts. It is 45-32-2 in the first half against the spread, fifth best in the NBA.

That halftime number doesn’t fall off much during the Timberwolves last 10 games (6-4 ATS), and their last five games (3-2 ATS).

Oh, those last three games that they’ve lost? They’re 3-0 first-half ATS, tied for best in the NBA

In that same time frame, the Nets rank 17th (37-40-1 ATS) this season, 21st in their last 10 (4-6), 20th in the five (2-3) and 2-1 in their last three.

The clincher: The Timberwolves are 7-3 first-half ATS in their last 10 road games – tied for best in the league – while the Nets are 21st at 5-5 in their last 10 home games.

It doesn’t hurt that the Wolves are averaging 59.7 first-half points since Karl-Anthony Towns returned from the injured list.

And that the Nets are allowing 58 first-half points a game this season.

While the Nets are solidly in the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff rankings, we’ll take the first-half Wolves for hanging on for their playoff lives. 

Timberwolves -0.5 first half (FanDuel)