Timberwolves vs Lakers Picks: Minnesota to Win and Cover ATS 10/22
- I give you my top 2 NBA expert picks for the Timberwolves vs Lakers game tonight.
- Minnesota traded away All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns in the offseason.
- Los Angeles has LeBron James beginning his 21st NBA season.
- Check out the NBA odds and make your bets before tipoff.
The 2024-25 NBA season begins on Tuesday night with a doubleheader, capped by the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves. Minnesota was one of the top teams in the Western Conference a season ago, finishing with 57 victories, but it made one of the blockbuster trades of the offseason.
The Timberwolves dealt away All-Star forward Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks, receiving Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo in the deal. It’s quite a shakeup for a team that reached the Western Conference finals last season.
Meanwhile, the Lakers, who lost in the first round of the playoffs after advancing out of the Play-In Tournament, made almost no roster moves. The biggest, at least as far as NBA news is concerned, had to do with the drafting of LeBron James’ son, Bronny James, in the second round of the draft.
The odds on BetUS Sportsbook for this one favor the visiting Timberwolves by 1½ points. If you’d prefer to just bet on the moneyline without worrying about the points, you can get Minnesota at -115, while the Lakers are listed at -105.
The over/under for the game is set at 220½ points.
Timberwolves vs Lakers Game Information
- Game: Timberwolves (0-0) vs Lakers (0-0)
- Location: crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- Day/Time: Tuesday, Oct. 22, 10:00 p.m. ET
- Timberwolves vs Lakers Live Stream: TNT
Timberwolves vs Lakers Odds and Spreads
Place your Bets on Timberwolves vs Lakers at BetUS Sportsbook!
2 Top Bets to Make on Timberwolves vs Lakers on Oct 22
1. Can Lakers Contain Edwards? Bet on Timberwolves ATS
If it wasn’t already obvious before, with the departure of Towns, this is definitely Anthony Edwards’ team. The 23-year-old is one of the most dynamic players in the league, averaging 27.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists a season ago, leading Minnesota to the brink of its first NBA Finals appearance.
Edwards isn’t shy about looking to score, and he had a lot of success scoring against the Lakers last season, averaging 27.3 points in four games against Los Angeles. He’s among the betting favorites for a number of NBA awards, including MVP and Clutch Player of the Year.
Another frontrunner for an award is center Rudy Gobert, who must be more consistent in the paint with Towns gone. Gobert did lead the Timberwolves in rebounding and blocks in 2023-24 with 12.9 and 2.1 per game, respectively.
He’ll have his hands full with the Lakers’ Anthony Davis, who is one of the top rebounders in the game as well. Davis averaged 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game last season.
If the Lakers are going to contend for a playoff spot, Davis must be healthy and playing well. He and James are the main cogs for Los Angeles, so their presence on the court is essential to the team’s chances.
James is 39 to start this season and coming off one of his better statistical seasons as far as shooting the ball. He shot 41% from 3-point range while averaging 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists.
Unfortunately for LA, its depth just isn’t there against a very good Timberwolves squad. We expect Minnesota to come out strong in the season opener to get the win, making them our NBA expert pick against the spread.
Bet on Minnesota Timberwolves -1 (-110)
Bet $200 on NBA, Get $450 Bonus on a first-time deposit! Power up your picks!
2. High-Scoring Contest for Season Opener, Bet Over
This game should be exciting for lots of reasons, including a lot of points being scored. When these two teams played in the preseason, they combined for 231 points, and that was with Edwards, James and Davis sitting out.
Of course, the intensity of the preseason doesn’t quite match up to a regular-season contest, so there will be more defense in this one, but the best offensive players will also be playing. Edwards especially wants to put on a show against his two Olympic teammates.
Anthony Edwards put on a scoring CLINIC tonight during their #NBAPreseason matchup with the Knicks 🐜🔥
31 PTS | 2 REB | 3 AST | 11/19 FG, 8/13 3P pic.twitter.com/8rfhwmD24k
— GREENLIGHT MEDIA (@atlgreenlight) October 14, 2024
It doesn’t help that the Lakers’ best perimeter defender, Jarred Vanderbilt, is out with a foot injury.
Davis and Gobert will man the paint for their respective teams, but they won’t be able to stop the shooting from these teams. DiVincenzo wants to make a good first impression for the Timberwolves, so he’ll be gunning from 3-point range.
On the other side, the Lakers have some shooters in D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reeves and Rui Hachimura. Davis and James will draw a lot of defensive attention, so that trio should find some open looks.
Our NBA predictions for this game include it going over the point total. Place your bets accordingly and come up a winner.
Bet on Timberwolves vs Lakers Over 220½ (-110)
Question Of The Day
Who leads the all-time series between the Timberwolves and Lakers?
Los Angeles leads the all-time series with Minnesota, 85-44, though the Timberwolves have won the season series in each of the last three campaigns.
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets
