The late game on opening night for the 2024-25 NBA regular season pits the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Los Angeles Lakers, and oddsmakers peg the visitors as the narrow betting favorites at 1.5 points on the spread at FanDuel.
Here's a look at all of the betting odds and expert picks you need if you're looking to wager on this matchup featuring the likes of Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis, with there even being potential wagering on secondary stars and names like Naz Reid.
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Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers Betting Odds
Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. ET
| Teams | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Timberwolves | -1.5 (-112) | -122 | O 219 (-110) |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +1.5 (-108) | +104 | U 219 (-110) |
Odds as of October 21, 2024 at FanDuel
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers Expert Picks
Minnesota Timberwolves ATS -1.5 (-112), ML (-122)
It's a limited sample size and not the truest of indicators of future performance, yet we're still left with the lingering aftertaste of a Lakers defense which allowed the third-most points per 100 possessions during the preseason at 112.5. To be fair, Minnesota wasn't that much better at 110.9, yet it gets the benefit of the doubt after finishing first overall last season by allowing just 108.4 points per 100 possessions.
It's been a fairly one-sided rivalry as of late with the Timberwolves winning three of four games over the Lakers in 2023-24, including eight of their last 11. Two of Minnesota's victories last season only came by three or fewer points, mind you, and their last by 10 points on April 7 didn't have James suiting up for Los Angeles.
Edwards was particularly effective against the Lakers, averaging 27.3 points and 1.5 steals and blocks per game, while reigning Sixth Man of the Year winner Naz Reid averaged more points against Los Angeles (21.3) than he did any other team he competed against on more than two occasions. The Lakers simply don't have enough defense to counteract Minnesota's heavy offensive arsenal, and that's even after it parted with Karl-Anthony Towns over the offseason. It's a narrow spread to begin with, so simply betting on the Timberwolves to prevail should cover both ATS and ML at Crypto.com Arena.
OVER 219 Total Points (-110)
The OVER registered in three of the four meetings between Minnesota and Los Angeles last season, all of which had a bare minimum of a 218-point total dictated by oddsmakers. The only game which went UNDER was a 108-106 result on Dec. 30 which would still only be five points shy of Tuesday's mark.
That's enough to be optimistic in another OVER connecting in this opener, especially when factoring in the Lakers' defense, new head coach in JJ Redick, and an OVER being produced in 12 of their last 16 games at home.
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Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers Player Prop
Naz Reid OVER 11.5 Points (-111)
As mentioned above, Reid was a thorn in the Lakers' side coming off the bench and torched them with three games of at least 19 points while shooting an absurd 20-of-27 from the field across two of those wins.
The big question mark now is how many looks his new teammate Donte DiVincenzo will soak up for the second unit, as both players currently possess top-six odds in the Sixth Man of the Year race. That shouldn't stop Reid's dominance against Los Angeles, though, as the opposition's interior defense is incredibly flawed beyond the services of Davis.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers Betting Trends
- The Lakers are 18-9 (66.7 percent) in their last 27 games at home.
- Anthony Edwards has exceeded 5.5 rebounds in five of his last six games, averaging 8.7 during that stretch.
- Julius Randle has exceeded 30.5 points + rebounds + assists in 19-straight games against teams ranking in the bottom-third of the league in points allowed.
