Tuesday’s 11-game NBA slate wraps up in the late hours with an 11 p.m. EST contest between the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves. You can’t ask for much more star power than what’ll be on display tonight as Luka Doncic faces off against Anthony Edwards in a battle between two of the league’s premier scorers. Trust us, this one’s worth staying up for!
Here’s a Timberwolves vs. Lakers prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Tuesday’s nightcap.
Timberwolves vs. Lakers prediction, preview
Minnesota Timberwolves
These Timberwolves look different than in years past, jumping up to third in the Western Conference following an 8-2 run over their last 10 contests. At 40-24 overall this season, there’s a ton to like about this roster as it fully hits its stride and shows makings of a dark horse contender.
Minnesota has a +4.1 NETRTG that’s good for eighth in the league, ranking 10th in pace as well. The Wolves have an elite offense that averages 118.6 PPG, fifth-most, with the 10th-ranked OFFRTG. The crux of that production is efficient shooting thanks to a 48.3% FG% and 37.2% 3P%, both of which are top-five marks across the NBA. They also post 26.2 assists a game with a respectable 1.793 AST/TO ratio as well. The T-Wolves are also strong on the glass with 44.6 rebounds a game, good for 11th. To further build on the two-way play of this roster, Minnesota holds opponents to 114.5 PPG and the seventh-lowest eFG%, sitting ninth in DEFRTG.
The star of this group is, of course, Anthony Edwards — a career-high 29.6 PPG on a 49.5% FG% and 40.9% 3P% are likely to propel him to another All-NBA campaign when all is said and done. Julius Randle averages 21.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists in his second year with the team. Jaden McDaniels’ growth to 14.9 PPG and a team-high 43.1% 3P% has also played a major role in the group’s jump to true contender status. Fellow frontcourt members Naz Reid and Rudy Gobert also score double-digit points, with the latter averaging 11.4 rebounds as well. Guards Donte DiVincenzo and Ayo Dosunmu are also key contributors.
Los Angeles Lakers
Meanwhile, the Lakers are 39-25 overall and sit fifth in the Western Conference. They’ve won back-to-back games now and remain a force at times, but LeBron James is questionable tonight, which could leave them without a much-needed offensive punch.
Los Angeles has a NETRTG of +0.9, good for 16th overall. The team also sits 20th in pace. The Lakers’ numbers fall middle-of-the-pack, averaging 115.9 PPG with the ninth-best OFFRTG while giving up 115.0 PPG to opponents and logging the 21st-ranked DEFRTG. Their 25.4 assists and 1.744 AST/TO ratio aren’t the most impressive, but there is an area where they’re elite. A 49.8% FG% leads the entire NBA, and a 35.8% 3P% is far from poor as well. L.A. also generates the third-most FTA per game. The glass is a real weakness though, coming in at second-to-last with only 40.9 rebounds a game.
Luka Doncic’s 32.5 points are a team-high, but also lead the league as well while generating 7.8 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game. James’ 21.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.0 assists are also key, which is why his absence could play such a major role. Austin Reaves’ season-long marks of 23.5 points and 5.4 assists look quite good, but he’s scored just 18.1 points with 3.7 dimes since the All-Star break. Deandre Ayton starts at center with 12.4 points and a team-best 8.2 rebounds per game, while Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard score in the double digits, too.
Timberwolves vs. Lakers pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Timberwolves as -2.5 road favorites tonight with -135 odds on the Moneyline. The Lakers are listed at +114 on the ML with the game total set at 230.5 combined points.
These sides have met twice this season, both matchups which came back in October. Los Angeles took both of those in hand, winning 116-115 in one and 128-110 in the other. The interesting part of that equation is that James, of course, did not appear in either contest while dealing with sciatica through the early portions of the season. While it would be easy to write the Wolves off based on these past results even without the star active for their opponent, tonight’s outcome could be far different.
This is essentially a toss-up of a matchup, especially given the star scoring talent on either side. The difference is that Minnesota is undoubtedly the better defensive roster and maintains a pretty significant edge on the glass tonight as well. Realistically, the T-Wolves are probably the better team between the two since they bring a more complete unit to the table, plus they’re much deeper and have a greater stable of players who can potentially step up on any given night to be the difference-maker who wins a game.
Doncic will get his numbers and Reaves could too if James doesn’t play, but in a situation like this one, grit may be the differentiating factor down the stretch. I expect the Timberwolves to win and cover the spread, flipping the script from the first couple of meetings between these sides.
Top pick: MIN Timberwolves -2.5 (-112)
