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The Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves right after taking down the Dallas Mavericks in a dramatic showdown. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Timberwolves-Lakers prediction and pick.
The Timberwolves are one of the more confusing stories of the 2024-25 season. After a Western Conference Finals run last year, the Wolves 32-27 which places them 7th in the Western Conference. They have the same record as the Los Angeles Clippers and are only 0.5 games ahead of the Golden State Warriors. In a competitive conference, the Wolves must figure things out quickly if they want to match or even improve on last season.
The Lakers are the talk of the NBA right now. They contain LeBron James and Luka Doncic and everybody seems to be drawn to them. They have a chance to do damage in the West and make a run to the NBA Finals if they can stay healthy. At 35-21, they are 10.5 games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for 4th in the conference. They must take down a good Timberwolves team to keep the momentum alive for a chance to catch the Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets.
Here are the Timberwolves-Lakers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Timberwolves-Lakers Odds
Minnesota Timberwolves: +4.5 (-108)
Moneyline: +160
Los Angeles Lakers: -4.5 (-112)
Moneyline: -190
Over: 223.5 (-110)
Under: 223.5 (-110)
How To Watch Timberwolves vs. Lakers
Time: 10:30 ET/7:30 PT
TV: NBA TV
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Timberwolves Could Cover the Spread/Win
Outside of Anthony Edwards, there is nothing flashy about the Timberwolves. Julius Randle and Naz Reid have had their moments but they average below 20 points per game for a team that is 20th in the NBA in scoring. Edwards continues to put up superstar numbers and he helped his team win one of their bigger games of the season against OKC last time out. Edwards was banged up a little, and his teammates ended up getting the job done, but the Wolves stormed back down 25 points to the Thunder and won. This is after losing to the Thunder in the contest before and beating them right before that. Those two teams played each other three times in four games … it's safe to say they are happy to take on a different opponent.
Edwards has been on a tear as of late. He only scored 17 points last time out but that was the first time he scored below 21 points since January 11. Minnesota's schedule has been brutal lately and his scoring is a reason why they gutted out some wins. In the last seven games, three were against OKC, two against Houston, and one each against Milwaukee and Cleveland. They went 3-4.
The Timberwolves recently signed Bones Hyland, who is a scoring threat. Rudy Gobert, Randle, and Donte DiVincenzo are all a game-time decision. That is a big boost for the Wolves.
Minnesota's defense remains in the top 10. They are 6th in opposing points at allowing 109 per game, 7th in opposing FG% at 45.8%, 6th in opposing three-point percentage at 35.1%, and tied for 14th in blocks.
The Wolves are 26-32-1 against the spread and 33-26 on over/under's.
Why the Lakers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Lakers are the favorite at home and should come out on top against the Wolves. If the Lakers can shut down Edwards then they will have a great shot at winning. We saw in the last game that it is possible to slow him down, despite his elite scoring ability.
With Luka and LeBron, anything is possible. It's unclear if either will play in back-to-backs as they have dealt with injuries, and they do play the Clippers the following night. It's not official they both will play, but it's expected they will as they are listed as probable. The Lakers are right in the middle of the pack in scoring at 113 per game but we all know that this is a different team now with Luka. Overall numbers don't mean as much with two of the best players the game has ever seen sharing the court.
James is 4th in the NBA in assists per game with 8.7 and Luka is not far behind at 7.7. Statistically, it hasn't been up to par for Luka but he has been injured for a majority of the season. His triple-double against the Mavericks on Tuesday night proved he is still capable of dominating a game. He hasn't been scoring at his expectations since joining the Lakers but did score 32 against the Denver Nuggets.
LA is 30-25-1 against the spread and 27-29 on over/under's.
Final Timberwolves-Lakers Prediction & Pick
This is going to be the game of the night. I think the Over at 223.5 is the best bet on the board but I am rolling with the Timberwolves to cover 4.5 points. The Timberwolves are coming off their best win of the season without Rudy Gobert, Randle, and pretty much Edwards. I expect Edwards to shine in Hollywood and help his team cover the spread.
Final Timberwolves-Lakers Prediction & Pick: Timberwolves +4.5 (-108), Over 223.5 (-110)
