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Timberwolves vs Lakers NBA Playoffs Prediction, Picks and Prop Bets for April 19: LA (-4) Covers in Opener
- Back the Lakers (-4) to take Game 1 of this series.
- Luka Doncic going over 28.5 points (-124) is a top player prop pick.
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The Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves open their first-round playoff series with Game 1 on Saturday night. The third-seeded Lakers are favored by four points in the opener as well as being -180 favorites in the NBA playoffs odds to win the series and advance. But sixth-seeded Minnesota has shown in the past that it can play better in the postseason, advancing to the Western Conference finals just last season as the No. 3 seed.
Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks ended the Timberwolves’ run last season, and Doncic and his new squad is hoping to do the same thing this season as well.
Timberwolves vs Lakers NBA Playoffs Prediction
Los Angeles has been playing very well down the stretch of the season, winning six of eight before sitting all their starters in a regular-season finale loss to Portland. While Minnesota is a formidable team, the Lakers just have too much star power and playoff experience with Doncic and LeBron James, who will both turn their games up a notch now that the postseason is here. This might be a competitive series eventually, but the opener is going to be all Los Angeles. Lakers 124, Timberwolves 108
Timberwolves vs Lakers Best Player Props Today
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Lakers G Luka Doncic Over 28.5 (-124)
Doncic showed in last year’s playoffs, when he led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals, that he can take over games in the postseason. He did that against the Timberwolves in the NBA Finals and we like him to continue his postseason scoring prowess in the opener.
Doncic averaged 34.4 points in his last five regular-season games, with his only contest with under 30 points in that stretch coming when he was tossed from the game early vs Oklahoma City.
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Timberwolves C Rudy Gobert Over 10.5 Rebounds (-136)
If Minnesota is going to be competitive in this series, it has to win the board battle, which is where Rudy Gobert comes in. The seventh-leading rebounder in the NBA during the regular season at 10.9 per game is coming off an 18-rebound game in the regular-season finale vs Utah.
Los Angeles doesn’t have much height on its front line, so Gobert should be able to dominate on the glass in this series, making his boards total one of the best NBA player props today.
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Lakers G Austin Reeves Over 2.5 3-Pointers (-124)
The third member of the Lakers’ big three, Austin Reeves has really stepped up his game this season, and he’ll be key to Los Angeles living up to its NBA futures odds. With Minnesota focused on slowing down Doncic and James, Reeves should find some open looks from beyond the 3-point arc. It says here that the 37.7% 3-point shooter will knock them down enough to win this prop.
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Timberwolves vs Lakers Moneyline Pick
As stated earlier, we like Los Angeles to dominate this game. It’s been a while since the Lakers hosted a Game 1 at their home arena, so the crowd will be juiced, and the veteran duo of James and Doncic are going to do everything they can to get the Lakers out to an early lead in this series with a win to improve their odds to win the NBA series.
Bet On Lakers ML (-180) vs Timberwolves
Timberwolves vs Lakers Spread Pick
This series will be competitive as it goes on, but not Game 1. James and Doncic have had some time to rest, and both know that getting out to a good start in a series is crucial, especially when playing at home. Los Angeles has title aspirations, and wants to make the long road ahead as easy as possible.
Luka Doncic looking ahead to the Lakers’ title aspirations: “I think we have a great team. We have guys who are willing to go to war. Everybody is staying together, the chemistry is high. So I think we, for sure, have a chance” pic.twitter.com/f6vPjCE8Fr
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 17, 2025
Our NBA betting analysis for this one is pretty simple. Lakers roll to an opening victory.
Bet On Lakers (-4) vs Timberwolves
Timberwolves vs Lakers Over/Under Pick
The competitive juices will be flowing with both of these teams. Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards will try to get his points on the board early and often while the Lakers have three players in James, Doncic and Reeves who can get hot and take over a game. Defense isn’t going to be the thing that wins this game, with the over in jeopardy well before the final buzzer. The last of our NBA expert picks for this game is for the over to hit.
Bet On Timberwolves vs Lakers Over 216.5 (-110)
Timberwolves vs Lakers How to Watch
- Game: Minnesota Timberwolves (49-33) vs Los Angeles Lakers (50-32)
- Location: crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- Date/Time: Saturday, April 19, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Timberwolves vs Lakers Live Stream: NBA League Pass
See the latest Timberwolves vs Lakers betting trends here.
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Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets
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Questions of the Day
When was the last time the Timberwolves and Lakers played in the postseason?
Los Angeles defeated Minnesota in the 2004 Western Conference finals in the last playoff matchup between these two franchises.
When was the last time the Lakers hosted a Game 1 at their own arena?
Los Angeles last played a Game 1 at its home arena in 2012, since its 2020 run to a title was all played in the Orlando bubble.
