The Minnesota Timberwolves invade the Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. Here’s a LA Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction. This article will include a LA Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves Pick.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are coming into this season with plenty of optimism as they were good enough to get all the way to the Western Conference Finals after winning 56 games in the regular season. Karl-Anthony Towns really didn’t look like himself in the playoffs and it forced the Timberwolves’ front office to make some moves, sending away Towns to the Knicks for Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle. The Timberwolves look stronger on offense, especially if DiVincenzo can have a big season, but they were one of the best defensive teams in the league and it will be interesting to see if they can maintain those standards with the new players. Look for Anthony Edwards to take his game to another level this season along with role players like Naz Reid who is coming off a great season.
Los Angeles Lakers
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers will be hoping for a bounce-back season after suffering a first-round exit to the Denver Nuggets. In terms of roster moves, new head coach JJ Redick is the only move to make any headlines. The Lakers got rid of Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince, while drafting Dalton Knecht and Bronny James in the NBA Draft. Anthony Davis put together a strong season and finished with averages of 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, while LeBron James averaged 25.7 points and 8.3 assists per game and we all know that the Lakers’ season lies heavy on the shoulders of these two. The spotlight will be shining bright on Bronny James, but given his struggles in the preseason matches, I don’t expect him to feature in any significant minutes.
Why the Minnesota Timberwolves will win
- The Timberwolves have won each of their last 11 games as favorites against the Lakers.
- The Lakers have lost each of their last seven season openers.
- The Lakers have failed to cover the spread in each of their last seven season openers.
- The Timberwolves have covered the spread in each of their last six games as road favorites.
Los Angeles Lakers Player Facts
- Anthony Davis ranked 1st in the league for second chance points (344) last season.
- LeBron James ranked 2nd in the league for fast break points (363) last season.
Minnesota Timberwolves Player Facts
- Rudy Gobert ranked 2nd amongst qualified players for rebounds per game (12.9) last season.
- Mike Conley ranked 3rd amongst qualified players for 3P% (44.2%) last season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Lakers ranked 30th in the league for offensive rebounds per game last season (8.2).
- The Lakers ranked 30th in the league for opponent field goal attempts per game last season (93.7).
- The Timberwolves ranked 1st in the league for opponent points per game last season (106.5).
- The Timberwolves ranked 1st in the league for opponent field goal percentage last season (45.0%).
LA Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves Prediction
The Lakers are still slightly shorthanded with Christian Wood still out, while the Timberwolves are keeping an eye on Naz Reid who sat out the final preseason game with a shoulder impingement. The Lakers will want to hit the ground running and string together a bunch of wins to start the season, but even though they are at home, it is no surprise that they are underdogs in this matchup. Last season, the Timberwolves beat the Lakers in three of four meetings, and they are 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings against the Lakers. You can make an argument for either side in what should be a close one, but I’m leaning towards the Timberwolves to kick things off with a solid road win.