The Minnesota Timberwolves were contending for the No. 1 seed to start this season. No one could have predicted that they would stay in the hunt, but with five games remaining in the season, they sit tied with the defending NBA Champion, Denver Nuggets, for first in the conference. The Los Angeles Lakers hoped to be near the top contending as well, but they currently sit two games out of the sixth seed. The Lakers likely need to win all five remaining games to pass the Kings, Pelicans, and Suns for the automatic playoff bid. It is time to continue our NBA odds series with a Timberwolves-Lakers prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Timberwolves are still in a battle for the No. 1 seed, as the Nuggets are tied, and the Oklahoma City Thunder sit a game back. Minnesota has won six of their last eight games, including a win over the Denver Nuggets to help them with their seeding. The Timberwolves have some favorable matchups remaining on their schedule, but an April 10th date with the Nuggets in Denver looms large on the Western Conference playoff picture.
The Lakers' schedule isn't as favorable, as they face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday before their matchup with the Timberwolves. They finish the season with games against the Warriors, Grizzlies, and Pelicans. The Grizzlies matchup is the easiest of the three, but games against the Warriors and Pelicans will be huge as all three teams battle for play-in positioning. The Lakers are getting hot at the right time, winning three straight and eight of their last nine.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Timberwolves-Lakers Odds
Minnesota Timberwolves: +3 (-108)
Moneyline: +120
Los Angeles Lakers: -3 (-112)
Moneyline: -142
Over: 224.5 (-108)
Under: 224.5 (-112)
How to Watch Timberwolves vs. Lakers
Time: 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
TV: NBATV
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Timberwolves Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Lakers' recent run of success isn't as good as the record would show. Los Angeles has won eight of their last nine games, but just two wins have come against teams in a guaranteed playoff spot. The rest are against non-playoff teams (four) and play-in teams (two). Their three-game win streak has come against three non-playoff teams, all of which have shown signs of mailing it in for a better draft lottery position. The Timberwolves have won against Denver, Golden State, and Cleveland over the last ten games.
The Lakers have the best offensive team in the NBA over the last five games, averaging 119 points per game. However, that is another stat boosted by playing those non-playoff teams over the past three. They haven't had to face an elite defense, which is what the Timberwolves bring to the table. Minnesota is the best scoring defense in the NBA over the last five games, allowing 99 points per game.
Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Lakers lost the first two games of the season against Minnesota, but they dominated them with an 11-point victory at the beginning of March. If the Lakers can replicate that performance at home, they can easily cover the spread and win outright in this game.
One of the downfalls of the Lakers this year has been their defense, as they rank in the bottom half of the league in almost every category. They are 22nd in scoring defense over the last five games, but the Timberwolves scoring offense ranks just 20th.
Final Timberwolves-Lakers Prediction & Pick
The Lakers are starting to turn up their game, which isn't surprising with Lebron James on their squad with the playoffs coming up. However, the Lakers will be brought back down to earth in this game by the best team they've had to play in a while. The dominant Timberwolves defense will neutralize the Lakers in this game.
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Final Timberwolves-Lakers Prediction & Pick: Timberwolves +3 (-108)
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