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Lakers vs Timberwolves Prediction, Odds & Best Bets | NBA Betting (12/21): Minnesota Stands Tall
Written by: Devon Platana
Last Updated:
Read Time: 6 minutes
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Today’s Lakers vs Timberwolves prediction is brought to you by Bovada. Bovada is a market leader in sports betting, offering a variety of options from the NBA to the UFC and everything in between.
The NBA has eight games lined up for Thursday, Dec. 21, including a 9 p.m. ET collision between the Los Angeles Lakers (15-13) and Minnesota Timberwolves (20-6) at Target Center in Minneapolis, MN.
Both sides were in action less than 24 hours ago and it’s safe to say things didn’t go as planned. The Lakers lost their third straight game, falling 124-108 to the lowly Chicago Bulls to open a three-game road trip. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves return home following a 127-113 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
But despite last night’s defeats, both sides are still candidates to represent the West in the 2023-24 NBA Finals. Bovada is listing the Lakers at +800 odds (4th) to win the Western Conference Finals while the Timberwolves are right behind them at +850 (5th).
In the meantime, there are plenty of betting opportunities to explore tonight, so let’s dive into my Lakers vs Timberwolves predictions and best bets.
Lakers vs Timberwolves NBA Tonight (Dec. 21)
Lakers vs Timberwolves Matchup Information
- Matchup: Los Angeles Lakers (15-13, 5-10 Away) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (20-6, 11-1 Home)
- Venue & Location: Target Center (Minneapolis, MN)
- Date: Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023
- Game Time: 9 p.m. Eastern Time
- Lakers vs. Timberwolves TV Channel Info: NBA TV
Lakers vs Timberwolves Odds & Spread
Lakers vs. Timberwolves odds are courtesy of Bovada as of Thursday, Dec. 21 at 11:45 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.
Lakers vs Timberwolves Spread
- Los Angeles Lakers +6.5 (-105)
- Minnesota Timberwolves -6.5 (-115)
Lakers vs Timberwolves Over/Under
- Over 225 Points (-110)
- Under 225 Points (-110)
Lakers vs Timberwolves Moneyline
- Los Angeles Lakers (+200)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (-240)
NBA Best Bets and Picks Tonight
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Lakers vs Timberwolves Betting Trends
- The Lakers are 1-4 straight up in their last five games.
- Minnesota is 12-1 straight up in its last 13 home games.
- The Lakers are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games vs. Minnesota.
- Minnesota is 2-4 ATS in its last six games played on a Thursday.
- The total hit the Over in each of the Lakers’ last eight road games.
- The total hit the Under in seven of Minnesota’s last eight games vs. the Lakers.
Lakers vs Timberwolves Prediction & Pick (Dec. 21)
There was very little to like in the Lakers’ loss to the Bulls last night.
Outside of LeBron James nearly finishing with a triple-double (25 PTs/10 REB/9 AST), the rest of the team didn’t pull through. Anthony Davis had a 19-point, 14-rebound double-double but only shot 46.7% from the floor. Austin Reaves scored 21 points in his sixth-man role, but he was a team-worst minus-22 while the rest of the bench only combined for 12 points.
The Lakers have now dropped four of five games since winning the NBA In-Season Tournament. They’ve also lost three outings in a row ahead of tonight’s showdown with two of those losses coming against the Bulls and San Antonio Spurs, who have been two of the worst teams all season.
Considering the struggles they’ve had against weaker teams, it’s hard to imagine the Lakers finding much success against the Timberwolves, who currently sit atop the Western Conference with a 20-6 record.
While Minnesota is also coming off a loss, it’s worth noting that Chris Finch’s has been more successful at home (11-1 SU) than they are on the road (9-5 SU). While the Timberwolves don’t score a ton of points at home, they do allow the fewest with the third-best scoring margin. The Lakers do have the better offensive numbers, but they’ve been held to a 110.7 PPG clip over the last three games.
The Timberwolves can also pull away in this game if they hit their three-point shots early on. They hit 37.9% of their shots from beyond the arc (8th), which has jumped up to 45.2% over the last three games. The Lakers, meanwhile, are one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league.
After the Lakers lost to the Bulls and Spurs within the last six days, I’m sticking with the Timberwolves tonight. Minnesota has been fantastic at home thus far and I just don’t have much faith in Los Angeles pulling off an upset until it shows more consistency.
With that in mind, let’s also hammer the T-Wolves on the spread. The Timberwolves have covered the spread in four of their last six games while going 8-3-1 ATS at Target Center this season. Meanwhile, the Lakers are 5-10 ATS on the road and have failed to cover the spread in each of their last five games.
In other words, don’t expect a close game tonight.
Lakers vs Timberwolves Prediction: MIN wins
Best Lakers vs Timberwolves Bet: MIN -6.5 (-115)
Get 50% up to $750 on this pick over on Bovada
Best Lakers vs Timberwolves NBA Player Prop (Dec. 21)
I’m going with Karl-Anthony Towns hitting over 1.5 threes made as the best Lakers vs. Timberwolves player prop tonight.
Few big men are as good shooters as Towns. The 28-year-old veteran is averaging 2.0 threes per game for the fifth straight year while his 42.5% three-point percentage is a career-high if he maintains this pace. He’s finished with at least a pair of threes in 14 games so far, which includes doing it in each of his last three home games.
The Lakers are one of the weaker teams when it comes to defending the perimeter and allow the second-most threes to power forwards his season. Unless he has an off night, Towns won’t have an issue coming through on this prop.
Best Lakers vs Timberwolves Prop Bet: Karl-Anthony Towns o1.5 3PM (-120)
Get 50% up to $750 on this pick over on Bovada
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Devon is a Master of Journalism graduate who joined the sports betting world in 2020. His favorite leagues to cover are the NHL, NBA and NFL, and has a soft spot for fantasy football specifically. Outside of sports, he enjoys the finer things in life like pasta, live music and getting even more tattoos.
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