The scuffling Los Angeles Lakers (29-39) and Minnesota Timberwolves (40-30) prepare to go head-to-head in a Western Conference showdown on Wednesday night.
The Lakers are 2-8 over the course of their past ten games and have dropped four of their last five contests. Los Angeles is clinging to a play-in spot in the West standings, but teams like the Pelicans and Trail Blazers are right on their heels.
Minnesota is trending in the exact opposite direction, winning eight of their last ten games. The T-Wolves are coming off an elite offensive performance that saw them score 149 points against the Spurs in San Antonio.
The Timberwolves lead the season series with the Lakers 2-1. However, Los Angeles defeated Minnesota in their last head-to-head matchup. The Timberwolves will look to clinch the series with LA at home in this Wednesday affair.
Matchup Information
Let’s take a look at our NBA betting odds tonight.
Lakers at Timberwolves Betting Stats
Looking at Los Angeles Lakers Stats
The Lakers have underperformed all season, but their struggles have reached a whole new low as of late. Los Angeles was defeated by the Raptors at home on Monday 114-103. The Laker offense started slow and could not recover despite a late rally.
LeBron James had another solid performance with 30 points and nine rebounds. Talen Horton-Tucker added 20 points off of the bench, but it was not enough in the defeat. The Lakers shot under 40 percent from the field and just 31 percent from deep for the game.
Los Angeles’s only two wins over their past ten games have come when LeBron scores 50 or more points. Let that sink in. This team is not doing enough to help James as he is forced to post elite performances consistently, or the team ends up losing.
You have to figure that LeBron is pondering his future after this underwhelming stretch of play.
However, Los Angeles technically still is in the postseason picture. As long as they get into the playoffs, there is always the possibility that they get hot and make a run. But right now, the likelihood of that happening seems very low.
Looking at the Minnesota Timberwolves Stats
Speaking of getting hot and making a run, the Timberwolves are 8-2 in their last ten games and now find themselves ten games over .500 and sitting in seventh place in the West.
Karl-Anthony Towns posted a historic performance in their win over San Antonio on Monday, as the big man finished with a jaw-dropping 60 points. He added 17 rebounds for good measure in the victory.
One side note worth making is that Kyrie Irving dropped 60 points on Tuesday. This was the first time since the 1960’s that players scored at least 60 points in back-to-back games.
But in regards to the Timberwolves, things have undoubtedly been falling into place as of late. They are going to be a dangerous team come playoff time. The majority of NBA expert picks revolve around taking Minnesota on Wednesday against Los Angeles for obvious reasons.
Betting Trends for Lakers at Timberwolves
- Minnesota is 38-30-2 ATS this season.
- Los Angeles is 28-40 ATS this year.
- The Timberwolves are 18-14-2 ATS at their home arena.
- The Lakers are 13-18 ATS on the road.
The Timberwolves are impressive ATS, while the Lakers are not. All of the numbers are pointing towards Minnesota in this contest.
Lakers and Timberwolves Prediction
Upsets happen, and it is possible that LeBron goes out and drops a 50-piece on the Timberwolves. But right now, there is no way I’m placing my money on the reeling Lakers. Again, it is possible that Los Angeles covers since Minnesota is listed as a lofty favorite.
But I like the scorching hot Timberwolves to cover the spread at home.
Go ahead and roll with Minnesota as your spread NBA betting selection.
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