The Los Angeles Lakers (12-8) and Minnesota Timberwolves (9-10) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET from the Target Center in Minneapolis. The game will broadcast live on NBA TV.
The Timberwolves are 8-point favorites over the Lakers on the spread (Wolves -8), with the over/under set at 219 total points.
Minnesota is a -340 favorite to win outright, while Los Angeles is +270 to pull off the upset.
Let's get to my Lakers vs. Timberwolves predictions and NBA picks for Monday, December 2.
Lakers vs. Timberwolves Picks, NBA Prediction
Spread
With the Lakers playing on the second half of a back to back tonight, the Timberwolves find themselves tagged as steep 8-point favorites on the spread, and I'm staying away from this market.
Moneyline
Similarly, Minnesota is listed as a heavy -340 moneyline favorite, compared to +270 for Los Angeles, and likewise, I'm not interested in betting either side of this number.
Over/Under
The total for Monday night's contest is stationed at over/under 219 points, and while my best bet is on Anthony Davis to go over 38.5 points + rebounds, I will not be betting the full game total in this matchup.
My Pick: Anthony Davis Over 38.5 Points & Rebounds
Lakers vs Timberwolves NBA Odds
| Lakers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8 -110 | 219 -110 / -110 | +270 |
| Timberwolves Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8 -110 | 219 -110 / -110 | -340 |
- Lakers vs Timberwolves spread: Timberwolves -8
- Lakers vs Timberwolves over/under: 219 points
- Lakers vs Timberwolves moneyline: Timberwolves -340, Lakers +270
- Lakers vs Timberwolves best bet: Anthony Davis Over 38.5 Points & Rebounds
Lakers vs. Timberwolves NBA Preview
The Lakers come into tonight's game having alternated wins and losses in their last four games. Last night, they defeated the Jazz 105-104 in Utah. That also makes tonight's game their game in four nights. The team has not submitted an injury report yet, but the status of Anthony Davis and LeBron James bears monitoring on the back-to-back.
If Davis is available tonight, he will have the opportunity for a big night with this matchup. He had 33 points and 11 rebounds last night and is now averaging 28.6 points and 11.5 rebounds per game while shooting 55% from the field. Minnesota is 22nd in points allowed per game in the paint and is allowing 22.7 points per game to centers despite the presence of Rudy Gobert.
Having last played on Friday night, Minnesota enters tonight's game with a rest advantage. This will also be the last game of Minnesota's homestand before a three-game road trip, so it will be motivated to get a win tonight. Speaking of motivation, Julius Randle will also be looking to have a strong game against the team that drafted him and he grew up a fan of.
In 14 career games against the Lakers, Randle is averaging 24.6 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. In seven of his last eight games against the Lakers, he has either recorded 30 points or a double-double. In his first season with the Timberwolves, Randle is averaging 21.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Friday's game against the Clippers snapped a streak of seven consecutive 20-point games.
Anthony Edwards also struggled against the Clippers as he shot just 7-for-21 from the field, but he did finish with 21 points and has now scored 20 points in 19 straight games. Edwards also has scored 25 points in five straight games against the Lakers. Averaging 27.7 points coming into tonight's game, he will look to extend both of those streaks against them tonight.
Lakers vs. Timberwolves NBA Prediction
Throughout their careers, Anthony Davis has owned the matchup against Rudy Gobert. In 22 career games against him, Davis is averaging 26.5 points and 10 rebounds per game. In the last seven games he has finished against Minnesota, he is averaging 32.4 points and 14.7 rebounds per game. He has cleared the line of 38.5 points + rebounds in all seven of those games. He nearly surpassed that line with just points in the last meeting, as he had 36 points and 16 rebounds on opening night.
In addition to Davis, I will also be backing a fellow Kentucky Wildcat in Randle, who has recorded 33 points and rebounds in six of his last eight games, and he's hit that number in five of his last six games against the Lakers. Randle also has a great matchup tonight in particular, considering the Lakers are 24th or worse in points, rebounds, and assists. They are allowing 38.4 PRA per game to power forwards.
Edwards should also be able to take advantage of a porous Lakers defense that ranks 24th in points allowed to shooting guards and 27th in points allowed to small forwards. In recent games, the Lakers gave up 36 points to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 26 points to Devin Booker, and 23 to Bradley Beal, which all ended in Lakers' losses.
Best Bet: Anthony Davis Over 38.5 Points + Rebounds (-110)
Same Game Parlay: Anthony Davis Over 38.5 Points & Rebounds + Julius Randle Over 32.5 Points, Rebounds, & Assists + Anthony Edwards Over 24.5 Points (+475)
Timberwolves vs Lakers Betting Trends
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