Timberwolves vs. Lakers Point Spread Pick

Minnesota Timberwolves (42-40 SU, 40-42-0 ATS) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (43-39 SU, 40-39-3 ATS)
When: Tuesday, April 11th, 10:00 PM (ET)
Where: Crypto.com Arena, CA, Los Angeles
TV: TNT

Point Spread: Min +8/LAL -8
Total: 231.5
Money Line: Minnesota Timberwolves +269/-342

Notable Injuries

Timberwolves

• Rudy Gobert (Out) Suspension
• Karl-Anthony Towns (Questionable) Calf
• Jaylen Nowell (Questionable) Knee
• Naz Reid (Out) Wrist
• Jaden McDaniels (Out) Hand

Lakers

• Anthony Davis (Probable) Foot
• LeBron James (Probable) Foot
• D’Angelo Russell (Probable) Foot

Recent Form

Heading into the game, Minnesota is 42-40 overall. When taking to the road, Minnesota has a mark of 20-21 and a win percentage of 49%. Currently, the team is 8th in the Western Conference. So far, they are 40-42-0 vs the spread. In their matchup against Los Angeles, the Minnesota Timberwolves have won 3 straight games and will look to push that mark to 4 in a row.

The Timberwolves came away with a win in their last matchup against the Pelicans, achieving a 113-108 victory as 2-point favorites. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with an impressive performance, scoring 30 points on a shooting percentage of 52.6%. In addition to the win, the Timberwolves also covered the spread.

Heading into the game, Los Angeles is 43-39 overall. When playing at home, Los Angeles has a mark of 23-18 and a win percentage of 56%. Currently, the team is 7th in the Western Conference. So far, they are 40-39-3 vs the spread. Los Angeles will look to stay hot in today’s game vs. Minnesota, as they are the winners of 2 straight games.

The Lakers from Los Angeles triumphed in their last match against the Jazz, achieving a 128-117 victory. LeBron James had the most points for the Lakers with 36. Despite the win, the Lakers did not cover the spread as 16-point favorites.

The Historicals

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Timberwolves picked up the 111-102 win over the Lakers. The Timberwolves’ margin of victory was enough to cover the spread as 8.0 point favorite. So far this season, the Timberwolves have a record of 2-1 vs. the Lakers. The Timberwolves have had the better record vs. the spread over the last 5 games, going 4-1. The team’s average scoring margin in these contests sits at 4 points per game. In these contests, they averaged a combined 218 points per game, leading to an over-under mark of 1-4.

Analysis

This season, the Timberwolves have loved to get up and down the court, as they are currently 5th in the league in possessions per game. However, this has not fully translated into the offensive success they are looking for, as Minnesota is 13th in scoring at 115.8 points per game. When looking at the team’s 3-point shooting numbers, they profile as an average team in both percentage and attempts. For the season, the Timberwolves’ offense is ranked 15th in 3-point attempts per game while connecting at a rate of 36.5%. Defense has been a struggle for Minnesota, as they are currently allowing 113.3 points per game. However, even with their overall struggles, the team has done a good job defending the 3-point line. So far, opposing teams have hit just 34.89% of their looks from deep.

Heading into today’s game, Minnesota will need a strong offensive effort from Anthony Edwards and the team’s supporting cast as Jaden McDaniels won’t be available vs. Los Angeles. So far, McDaniels is averaging 12.1 points per game. Edwards leads the Timberwolves at 24.6 points per contest.

This season, Los Angeles is among the league leaders in scoring, averaging 117.2 points per game. So far, the Lakers are also one of the more up-tempo teams in the league, sitting at 101.8 possessions per game. Los Angeles has struggled with their 3-point shot this season, as they are currently ranked just 25th in 3-point shooting percentage at 34.6%. In addition, they are near the bottom of the league in attempts, at just 31.2 attempts per contest. Defense has been a struggle for Los Angeles, as they are currently allowing 115.15 points per game. In terms of their 3-point defense, opposing teams have hit 35.38% of their looks from deep, placing the Lakers 18th in the NBA.

Coming into today’s game, LeBron James is the leading scorer for Los Angeles at 28.9 points per game. This season, James has a field goal percentage of 50.0%. The team’s second-leading scorer is Anthony Davis at 25.9 points per contest.

Betting Trends

• The Timberwolves are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
• The Timberwolves are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games.
• The Lakers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning straight-up record.
• The Lakers are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following a ATS loss.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

It was really bad timing for the Rudy Gobert drama to happen right before the playoffs started. The T-Wolves could have survived without Gobert, but the stink of the whole situation puts a major damper on the team’s chemistry. Minnesota wasn’t playing well prior to this ugly situation. Now they’re looking at getting blown out. Furthermore, Karl-Anthony Towns has a strained right calf. He’s listed as questionable and is likely to play, but he may be hampered. I’m betting on the Los Angeles Lakers minus the points.