Minnesota Timberwolves vs Los Angeles Lakers: Prediction, Starting Lineups, Odds (3/3/23)

The Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Los Angeles Lakers in a big Western Conference matchup. The Timberwolves are coming off a close win against the Clippers on the road, while the Lakers are coming off a close win against the Thunder on the road. This is an interesting matchup for the Western Conference standings. Let’s take a look at the odds and make some picks and predictions for this game!

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers Betting Odds

The Minnesota Timberwolves are 1.5-point road favorites against the Los Angeles Lakers and are at -125 on the money line. There’s no over/under listed just yet, but expect it to be high, with how good each team is on offense. The Minnesota Timberwolves being favored here makes sense because of the uncertainty surrounding if Anthony Davis is going to play. This spread could move a bit before tip-off too.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers Prediction

The pick: Los Angeles Lakers +1.5

The Los Angeles Lakers are very improved from where they were, but now are dealing with the injury bug to some of the better players on the roster, like LeBron, Anthony Davis, and even D’Angelo Russell.

LeBron has been great this year and leads the Lakers in almost all the statistical categories. With him out, Anthony Davis is going to have to step up a lot and even more than he has this year. He leads the team in scoring now and also in rebounding for the season. Lonnie Walker IV, Malik Beasley, and Dennis Schroder should all step up even more too in the backcourt for the Lakers. They can provide some much needed shooting on the wing and can be streaky scoring too.

As a team, the Lakers excel more on the offense than on defense. They’re top-10 in scoring and field goal percentage. They’re also top five in rebounds per game for the season at 46 per game.

On the other side, the Minnesota Timberwolves have really underperformed this year. They just haven’t been able to put it altogether.

Anthony Edwards has been great this year still. He leads the Timberwolves in points, assists, and steals per game for the season. He was also voted as an All-Star. Karl-Anthony Towns is still injured, but Rudy Gobert has been very good down low and leads the team in rebounds and steals per game for the season. Jade McDaniels and Naz Reid have also stepped up a lot when needed down low for Minnesota.

The Lakers are the play here. They’re dealing with injuries, but it’s a lot easier to trust the Lakers right now than it is the Timberwolves, so expect a close game, but the Lakers pull away late.

Betting Trends

Timberwolves are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games playing on 2 days rest.

Lakers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.

Key Matchups

Can Rudy Gobert matchup with Anthony Davis? Can Malik Beasley matchup with Anthony Edwards?

Anthony Davis vs. Rudy Gobert

Anthony Davis has been playing very well recently. He averages 26 points, 2 assists, and 12 rebounds per game for the season. He’ll be matched up against Rudy Gobert, who averages 13 points, 1 assist, and 12 rebounds per game for the season. This is a big matchup because of how good Gobert is on defense and could bother Davis. This could be a huge matchup because the Timberwolves have a good chance here if Gobert can defend Davis well.

Anthony Edwards vs. Malik Beasley

Anthony Edwards has been great this season for Minnesota. He averages 25 points, 5 assist, and 6 rebounds per game for the season for the season. He’ll be matched up against Malik Beasley, who averages 13 points, 2 assists, and 3 rebounds per game for the season. This is a big matchup because of how much offense Anthony Edwards accounts for. If Beasley can defend Edwards well, then the Lakers have a much bigger chance to win this game.

Minnesota Timberwolves Starting Lineup

PG: Mike Conley
SG: Anthony Edwards
SF: Kyle Anderson
PF: Jaden McDaniels
C: Rudy Gobert

Los Angeles Lakers Starting Lineups

PG: Dennis Schroder
SG: Malik Beasley
SF: Troy Brown Jr.
PF: Jarred Vanderbilt
C: Anthony Davis

Key Injuries

Minnesota Timberwolves Injuries: SG Jaylen Nowell (Knee) Q, C Karl-Anthony Towns (Calf) O

Los Angeles Lakers Injuries: SF LeBron James (Foot), C Anthony Davis (Foot) Q