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The Los Angeles Lakers will look to regain the home-court advantage as they play the Minnesota Timberwolves for Game 3 of the First Round on Friday at the Target Center. One team will take a 2-1 series lead as we continue our NBA Playoffs odds series with a Lakers-Timberwolves Game 3 prediction and pick.
The Lakers defeated the Timberwolves 94-85 in a gritty Game 2. It was 34-15 after the first quarter and 58-43 at halftime. However, the Lakers allowed the Timberwolves to claw back into the game, which is something they need to work on for Game 3.
Here are the Lakers-Timberwolves Game 3 NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Playoffs Odds: Lakers-Timberwolves Game 3 Odds
Los Angeles Lakers: +3 (-110)
Moneyline: +130
Minnesota Timberwolves: -3 (-110)
Moneyline: -154
Over: 206.5 (-110)
Under: 206.5 (-110)
How To Watch Lakers vs. Timberwolves NBA Playoffs 2025
Time: 9:31 PM ET/6:31 PM PT
TV: ESPN, FanDuel Sports North and Sportsnet-LA
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Lakers Will Cover the Spread/Win
The Lakers know how to beat the Timberwolves, but they must keep their consistency as the series shifts to Minnesota. Notably, three key factors went well on Tuesday, which ultimately determined the Lakers' fate. The Lakers won the board battle, defended the three-point line, and contained Anthony Edwards.
The Lakers shot well to start the game, but finished with just 45.3 percent from the field, including 20.7 percent from beyond the arc. However, they were perfect from the charity stripe, hitting all 20 of their free-throw attempts.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 31 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 9 for 20. Meanwhile, LeBron James finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 8 for 19 from the field. Austin Reaves added 16 points while shooting 7 for 14 from the field, while Rui Hachimura had 11 points. The bench was inefficient again, finishing with just 13 points.
The defense was the true heroes. After stifling the Timberwolves early, the Lakers held their ground in the fourth quarter, preventing the Wolves from mounting a rally. They held the Wolves to just 38 percent from the floor, including 20 percent from beyond the arc.
The Lakers will cover the spread if they can continue to get scoring from their top three guys while setting up good chances. Then, they must contain Edwards again, while winning the board battle and defending the three-point line.
Why the Timberwolves Will Cover the Spread/Win
After throttling the Lakers in Game 1, the Timberwolves looked awful in Game 2. Notably, they lost the board battle, despite having big men like Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert in the paint. They also shot the rock rather poorly and turned the rock over 11 times.
Edwards lost his composure and was unable to regain focus, allowing his team to fall behind in the game. While he finished with 25 points, he did not have nearly the same effect he had in Game 1. Randle was efficient, adding 27 points while shooting 9 for 17 from the field. However, he was the lone bright spot, other than Edwards.
After demolishing the Lakers in Game 1, Jaden McDaniels fell back down to Earth, finishing with just eight points while shooting 3 for 11 from the field. Gobert had just six points and six rebounds.
For the second consecutive game, the Timberwolves' defense struggled early. While they eventually recovered, the deficit was already too great for them to flip the momentum around. They only blocked two shots, which is unacceptable for a team with Randle and Gobert on it. Substantially, stopping Doncic, James, and Reaves is the key to victory.
The Timberwolves will cover the spread if Edwards, Randle, and the rest of the offense can be more consistent with their shots while winning the board battle. Then, they must avoid the sluggish start and contain the Lakers, forcing them into bad shots.
Final Lakers-Timberwolves Game 3 Prediction & Pick
The home team went 1-1 in Game 3 of the First Round last season when trailing 2-0 in the series. The Lakers won Game 3 on the road in the last time they entered the showdown with a split, with this last happening in the 2020 Western Conference Semifinals. Conversely, the Wolves have struggled in this situation recently. Alarmingly, they fell 117-90 in Game 3 to the Denver Nuggets last season after winning one of two games in Denver. The Wolves also lost Game 3 in the 2022 First Round, when they lost 105-94 to the Memphis Grizzlies.
I think the blowout loss woke the Lakers up. No, they did not shoot ideally all night. However, they addressed the issues, primarily in rebounding and defense. They did not let Edwards or any of the other shooters destroy them. Then, they boxed out and won the gritty battles. I think they will do it again, winning the tight battles, and overcoming the Wolves on the road to regain the advantage.
Final Lakers-Timberwolves Game 3 Prediction & Pick: Los Angeles Lakers: +3 (-110)
