The NBA season will continue on Friday night. The Minnesota Timberwolves will hit the road and take on the Los Angeles Lakers. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Timberwolves-Lakers prediction and pick.
These two teams have been having two different seasons. The Minnesota Timberwolves are 3-7 and have lost their last six games. The Los Angeles Lakers are 7-5 and have won their last two games against tough opponents. This should be a great game.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the odds for the Timberwolves-Lakers Friday night matchup.
NBA Odds: Timberwolves-Lakers Odds
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Minnesota Timberwolves: +2 (-112)
Los Angeles Lakers: -2 (-108)
Over: 223 (-110)
Under: 223 (-110)
Why The Timberwolves Could Cover The Spread
The Minnesota Timberwolves have had a very tough stretch of games. They are coming off a 13 point loss to the Warriors. In the game before that they lost by seven in overtime against the Grizzlies. The Wolves have been somewhat competitive but have been unable to get wins. They will look to turn things around against an opponent that has also struggled. The Lakers have not played up to their abilities this season and Minnesota will need to capitalize on this. Expect the Wolves to come into LA ready to play.
The silver lining of Minnesota's losses has been Anthony Edwards. Edwards has been dominant in Minnesota's last few games. He is only in his second year in the league and is coming off the best performance of his career. Ant dropped 48 against the Warriors and managed to keep his team in the game for at least some period of time. Edwards has really stepped up his game this season and will look to continue balling out on Friday. If Edwards can have a big night in LA then the Wolves just might win this.
Even with Edwards really stepping it up, Karl Anthony Towns is still the face of the Timberwolves. This is KAT's seventh year on Minnesota and in the league and he continues to play great basketball. He is basically a guaranteed double-double every night. KAT is averaging 23 points and 10 rebounds a game. The KAT vs AD matchup is highly anticipated. If KAT can out duel the Lakers big man then Minnesota could win this game. There are high expectations for the Minnesota center and he should be able to meet them.
Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread
The Lakers have been struggling this season. They may be 7-5 but their wins have not been decisive. LA is coming off back to back overtime wins of only three points. They beat the Heat in overtime 120-117 and prior to that they beat Charlotte in OT 126-123. Los Angeles's games have been coming down to the wire but they have managed to pull through. Minnesota is a weaker opponent than the two they just played and LA should be able to turn things up at home. Expect the Lakers to try and dominate the Wolves.
In LeBron's absence the leader of the Lakers is Anthony Davids. AD is one of the best players in the league and will look to prove it on Friday night. Davis is coming off a 24 point and 13 rebound outing against Miami. The big man is averaging 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game this season. He has a tremendous impact on the floor and will be a key player on Friday night. Expect AD to have a big night and to try and out play KAT.
It seems like Russell Westbrook is finally finding his flow as a Laker. There were definitely some early struggles but Westbrook has been balling out recently. Russ is coming off back to back triple doubles and has been creating offense for this Lakers team. If he can continue to contribute and be a leader for the Lakers then LA should have no problem against Minnesota. The Westbrook-AD connection is finally coming to fruition and Lakers fans should feel excited about the rest of the season.
Final Timberwolves-Lakers Prediction & Pick
While the Timberwolves aren't as bad as their record suggests, the Lakers are a better team. The line here is kind of weird and makes for a pretty easy decision. Even though Los Angeles has had its fair share of struggles, they should be more than capable of covering. LA is coming off back to back wins and is finally getting into a groove. They will be looking to notch a third straight victory against a worse opponent and they should have no problem doing so. Pick the Lakers to win and cover.
FINAL TIMBERWOLVES-LAKERS PICK: Los Angeles Lakers -2 (-108)
FINAL TIMBERWOLVES-LAKERS SCORE PREDICTION: Lakers 112 – Timberwolves 105
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