We’ve got another exciting Western Conference contest on Thursday’s NBA schedule as the Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves. Los Angeles is 35-21 overall and 20-7 at home, while Minnesota is 32-27 overall and 16-13 on the road. The Timberwolves have won two of three meetings against the Lakers this season and the home team has won all three matchups.Â
Tipoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Lakers are favored by 5.5 points in the latest Timberwolves vs. Lakers odds, according to the SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 228. The Lakers are -202 on the money line (risk $202 to win $100), while the Timberwolves are +168 (risk $100 to win $168). Before entering any Lakers vs. Timberwolves picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the advanced computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters Week 19 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 147-106 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $4,000. It’s also an outstanding 18-10 (64%) on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Los Angeles vs. Minnesota. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Timberwolves vs. Lakers:
- Lakers vs. Timberwolves spread: Lakers -5.5
- Lakers vs. Timberwolves over/under: 228 points
- Lakers vs. Timberwolves money line: Lakers -202, Timberwolves +168
- MIN: The Timberwolves are 7-4 ATS as an away underdog this season
- LAL: The Lakers are 8-3 ATS over their last 11 games
- Lakers vs. Timberwolves picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Lakers vs. Timberwolves streaming:Â FuboTVÂ (Try for free)Â
Why the Timberwolves can cover
The Timberwolves are coming off an upset victory over the Thunder, knocking off the top seed in the Western Conference, 131- 128, in overtime on Monday. Minnesota was a 12-point underdog before winning outright behind three 20-point scorers. The starting forward duo of Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid played key roles as McDaniels had 27 points and 10 rebounds with Reid adding 22 points and 11 rebounds. Anthony Edwards had a near triple-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.
The Timberwolves will remain without Julius Randle (groin) and Rudy Gobert (back), but they defeated the top-seeded Thunder twice over an 11-day span without their impactful big men. Minnesota has the No. 6 scoring defense (109 points per game) while holidng teams to 45.8% from the field, which ranks seventh in the league. See which team to pick here.
Why the Lakers can cover
The Lakers are coming off an emotional 107-99 victory over the Mavericks on Tuesday.  Luka Doncic had a triple-double against his former team with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists. Doncic had 32 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in a 123-100 victory over a strong Denver Nuggets team as the new-look Lakers are starting to form chemistry on the fly.
LeBron James took control in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 of his 27 points in the final period as the Lakers entered the fourth quarter with just a one-point advantage against Dallas. James is averaging 24.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game at 40 years old as he remains a dominant force. James (foot) is probable for Thursday and the Lakers are 16-11 (59.3%) against the spread at home this season. See which team to pick here.
How to make Lakers vs. Timberwolves picks
The model has simulated Timberwolves vs. Lakers 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, projecting 223 combined points, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Lakers vs. Timberwolves, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Timberwolves vs. Lakers spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 147-106 roll on top-rated NBA picks since last season, and find out.
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