Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves 03/16/2022 NBA Odds and Prediction

Two teams trending in opposite directions meet on Wednesday night at the Target Center in Minnesota as the slumping Los Angeles Lakers visit the surging Minnesota Timberwolves in a battle of teams fighting for the final two playoff spots in the West.

The Lakers have struggled to pick up wins since the All-Star break and are just 2-8 SU in their last 10 games with their only wins the games where LeBron James scored 50+ points. L.A. is a dismal 29-39 SU on the season and they are holding on to the 9th seed with the New Orleans Pelicans just 1.5 games behind them. Los Angeles has dropped two in a row and is coming off a 114-103 loss to the Toronto Raptors.

The Timberwolves are red hot right now with eight wins in their last nine games. Had they not been upset by the Pistons three games ago, they would have a nine-game winning streak right now. Minnesota is currently the 7th seed in the West and at 40-30 SU, they are just 1.5 games behind the 6th seeded Denver Nuggets and even just 3 games back of 5th seeded Dallas. The Wolves are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games played and are coming off a win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers had another slow start in their last game and they were not able to recover as the Toronto Raptors took advantage. LeBron James led the Lakers with 30 points and 9 rebounds while Talen Horton-Tucker added 20 off the bench but the Lakers got little from everyone else as Russell Westbrook was the only other double-digit scorer in the game at 14 points.

Los Angeles ranks 13th in the league in scoring at 111.0 points per game this season. They are 7th in rebounding at 44.3 boards grabbed per contest and also 17th in passing at only 23.9 assists per game. The Lakers have the 4th worst scoring defense in the league, allowing 113.6 points per game.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves saw Karl Anthony-Towns break his own franchise record with 60 points against the San Antonio Spurs in their last game. The Wolves backcourt of Patrick Beverley and D’Angelo Russell added 20 and 19 points respectively while Jaylen Novell and Taurean Prince combined for 28 off the bench.

Minnesota is the highest-scoring team in the NBA this season at 115.1 points per game. They are 15th in rebounding at 44.6 boards grabbed per contest and 7th in passing at 25.5 assists per game. The Timberwolves are 21st in scoring defense at 112.0 points per game allowed.

Who Wins?

The Lakers are 2-8 SU in their last 10 games played. Los Angeles is 0-10 SU in their last 10 road games and 16-26 SU in 42 games played against the Western Conference. Minnesota is 8-1 SU in their last nine games played. The Timberwolves are 12-2 SU in their last 14 games played at home, and 27-18 SU in 45 games against the Western Conference this season.

Head to head, the Lakers are 6-4 SU in their last 10 games played but tt the Timberwolves are 2-1 SU in their last three meetings. Minnesota is also 8-1 SU in their last nine home games against the L.A. Lakers.

Karl Anthony-Towns is coming off a 60-point scoring game and the Timberwolves are rolling right now. Had the Timberwolves not suffered a letdown against the Pistons, they would have been 9-0 SU and ATS in their last nine games played. Last week, these Wolves recorded their first six-game winning streak since 2004 so there’s no doubt they are playing their best basketball season and are doing so at the right time.

Meanwhile, the Lakers continue to sink after every game and the pressure continues to build up. LeBron James is having a fantastic Year 19 but he needs help. Remember that the only games that the Lakers have won since the break were the two where James scored 50+ points.

Prediction: Minnesota Timberwolves

Other Bets to Make

The Lakers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games played. Los Angeles is 13-18 ATS in 31 road games played this season, 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as road underdogs, 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight games when playing on 1-day rest, 1-4 ATS in their last five games when allowing more than 100 points in their previous game, 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games as betting underdogs, 0-3-1 ATS in their last four road games after a double-digit home loss, and 1-4 ATS in their last five games when scoring 100 or more points in their previous game.

The Timberwolves are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games played. Minnesota is 7-0 ATS in their last seven games after the Western Conference, 4-0-1 ATS in their last five home games against an opponent with a losing road record, 8-1 ATS in their last nine games when scoring 100 or more points in their previous game, 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 games as home favorites, 6-1 ATS in their last seven games after an ATS win, 6-1 ATS in their last seven after a straight up win, 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 games as betting favorites, 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games when playing on one day rest, and 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 games against an opponent with a losing record.

Head to head, the Timberwolves are 6-2 ATS in their last eight home games against the Lakers.

The Wolves have outscored the Lakers by an average of 12.33 points per game in their last three head-to-head meetings. Minnesota’s last six wins have been by double digits and both their wins over the Lakers this season have been by a double-digit margin.

Los Angeles has been terrible this season against the spread at 28-40 ATS. LeBron James is listed as questionable to play on Wednesday night and with the Lakers depending heavily on him with AD out, it’s going to be a struggle playing without their King. Even if LeBron does play, he has not gotten the support he’s needed to help his team win.

The Timberwolves know that no one in L.A. can defend KAT so I expect them to feed the big man with the ball all night long. There could be a drop-off in performance for Towns after a massive 60-point game. But with the Wolves trying to catch the Nuggets in the standings, I expect Towns to play another big game here.

Prediction: Minnesota Timberwolves -8

The total has gone over in five out of the last seven games played by the Lakers. The over is 6-0 in their last six road games against an opponent with a winning percentage at home better than .600, 6-0 in their last six road games against an opponent with a winning home record, 6-1 in their last seven games as betting underdog, 4-1 in their last five games after a straight up loss, 5-2 in their last seven games after allowing 100 or more points in their previous game, and 5-2 after scoring 100 or more points in their previous game.

The total has gone over in Minnesota’s last five games after allowing 125+ points in their previous game. The over is 9-3 in their last 12 games when playing on one day rest, 20-7 in their last 27 games when their opponent scores 100 or more points in their previous game, 20-7 in their last 27 games as betting favorites,16-6 in their last 22 games after a straight up win, 19-7 in their last 26 games after allowing more than 100 points in their previous game, 17-7 in their last 24 Wednesday games, and 36-16 in their last 52 games after scoring 100 or more points in their previous game.

Minnesota is the top OVER team in the NBA this season with an OVER record of 44-28. The Timberwolves are the top-scoring team in the league at 115.1 points per game and they are in the bottom 10 in scoring defense. They have scored at least 124 points seven times in their last nine games played and have the third-fastest pace in the NBA at 102.6

Meanwhile, the Lakers also play at a fast pace of 101.6 which is 7th overall in the league. Los Angeles is just 13th in the NBA in scoring but they have the 4th worst scoring defense in the league. The Lakers conceded 139 points to a lowly Rockets team four games ago and then gave up a season-best 140 points for the Phoenix Suns two games earlier.

The Wolves have hit an average total of 238 points in their last six games while the Lakers have hit a higher average of 239.1 during the same span. Look for this game to be a track meet.

Prediction: Over 237.5

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