by Rod Pearson
Monday, Apr 10, 2023
Game Time: 10:00 pm ET, Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Where to Watch: TNT
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Timberwolves +7, Lakers -7; Over/Under: 229.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Timberwolves +7, Lakers -7; Over/Under: 229.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Timberwolves +7, Lakers -7; Over/Under: 229.5 points
Season Record
Minnesota Timberwolves: 42-40 (2nd place, Northwest Division)
Los Angeles Lakers: 43-39 (5th place, Pacific Division)
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Recent Form
Minnesota Timberwolves: 7-3 last 10
Los Angeles Lakers: 8-2 last 10
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Los Angeles Lakers Preview and Analysis
The Timberwolves finished the regular season with a 42-40 record overall and they were 20-21 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 3 game winning streak with wins coming against the Brooklyn Nets, the San Antonio Spurs, and the New Orleans Pelicans in their last game. Karl-Anthony Towns led the team in points in that game with 30 while Anthony Edwards was next on the team with 26 points. Mike Conley Jr. led the team in assists in that game with 7 while Anthony Edwards led the team in rebounds with 13. They were 47.6% from the field, 36.1% from 3-point range, and 71% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 115.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 115.8 PPG against them. The Timberwolves have an ATS record of 40-42 this season and their O/U record is 39-43.
The Lakers finished the regular season with a 43-39 record overall and they were 23-18 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 2 game winning streak with wins coming against the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz in their last game. LeBron James led the team in points in that game with 36 while D'Angelo Russell was next on the team with 17 points. LeBron James and Austin Reaves each led the team in assists in that game with 6 while Anthony Davis led the team in rebounds with 13. They were 48.5% from the field, 40% from 3-point range, and 76.2% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 117.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 116.6 PPG against them. The Lakers have an ATS record of 40-41-1 this season and their O/U record is 44-38.
Timberwolves vs Lakers Prediction
The current betting odds have the Lakers listed as a 7 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. This is the play-in game for the Western Conference playoffs between the 7th and 8th seed where the winner of this game will earn a playoff series against the 2nd seed in the West while the loser will have to play the winner of the game between the 9th and 10th seed to see who earns the final playoff spot. The Lakers ended the regular season with a 43-39 record overall while the Timberwolves were 42-40 overall this season. Both of these teams have been really hot over the last month with the Timberwolves winning 3 games in a row now while the Lakers have won 2 games in a row coming into this one. The Timberwolves were not as good in their road games this year with a 20-21 road record while the Lakers were better in their home games with their 23-18 home record. The Lakers made a lot of trades to get better so they could make a playoff run and so far it has paid off as they are healthy again and playing the best they have been playing all year over the last month. The Timberwolves also made some moves to improve and were playing really well but now it is starting to backfire with Rudy Gobert causing incidents between teammates and he could not have picked a worse time to blow up in the last game of the regular season right before this really important game. The Timberwolves locker room is in a bad headspace right now while the Lakers have been steaming forward and will continue to do so here at home as they look to get back in the playoffs after missing last year. The best way to place a bet here is on the Lakers to cover the spread in this game.
Timberwolves Lakers Prediction: Our NBA Pick for Tuesday, April 11, 2023 (10:00 pm ET start time) is Lakers 132 Timberwolves 118.
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NBA Betting Trends
Minnesota Timberwolves: 23-11 ATS revenging a loss vs opponent. 25-18 ATS as an underdog. 8-2 OVER after 4 straight games where they made 47% of their shots or better.
Los Angeles Lakers: 7-18 ATS off 2 or more consecutive home wins. 18-34 ATS after a win by 10 points or more. 23-15 OVER after a game where they failed to cover the spread.
Key Injuries
Minnesota Timberwolves: J. McDaniels (SF) Ques Tues - Hand. J. Nowell (SG) Out indefinitely - Knee. N. Reid (C) Out indefinitely - Wrist.
Los Angeles Lakers: D. Schroder (PG) Ques Tues - Neck.
Notable Quotes
“Normally he’s, like, putting a lot of juice in the gym with his offense. Tonight I think it was his defense that lifted us up more than anything else.” - Chris Finch after his team’s win against the Pelicans in their game on Sunday.
“We’re just looking forward to the opportunity. Starting where we started at earlier in the year, and now sitting where we find ourselves sitting, we’re excited. Guys are ready to go. We’ve got great synergy in our locker room. Need to clean up some stuff defensively, but outside of that, we’re ready to go.” - Darvin Ham after his team’s win against the Jazz in their game on Sunday.
Starting Lineups
Minnesota Timberwolves
PG Mike Conley
SG Anthony Edwards
SF Kyle Anderson
PF Karl-Anthony Towns
C Rudy Gobert
Los Angeles Lakers
PG D'Angelo Russell
SG Austin Reaves
SF LeBron James
PF Jarred Vanderbilt
C Anthony Davis
Statistical Leaders
Minnesota Timberwolves
PPG: A. Edwards (24.6)
APG: M. Conley (6.7)
Reb/G: R. Gobert (11.6)
Los Angeles Lakers
PPG: L. James (28.9)
APG: L. James (6.8)
Reb/G: A. Davis (12.5)
Coaches:
Minnesota Timberwolves: Chris Finch (3rd season)
Los Angeles Lakers: Darvin Ham (1st season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
