After a blowout win last night, the Los Angeles Lakers are back in action to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves. Without guard D’Angelo Russell, the Timberwolves have been led by Anthony Edwards on the offensive end. It should be a fun matchup, but will Minnesota be able to keep up with Los Angeles tonight? Here are the key trends and my prediction for tonight’s matchup. This information will help you find an edge on the NBA betting market.
Tonight’s NBA Betting Picks, Odds and Prediction | Timberwolves vs. Lakers
Timberwolves vs. Lakers Game Info
Minnesota Timberwolves (9-30) at Los Angeles Lakers (26-13)
Date:Â Tuesday, Mar. 16, 2021
Start Time: 10:30 p.m. EST
Venue:Â STAPLES Center — Los Angeles
The Lakers have won both of their games since the All-Star Break while the Timberwolves have won two out of three, with wins over the Trail Blazers and Pelicans. A lot of different sportsbooks don’t expect them to keep winning tonight, as they’re sizable underdogs in what seems like a one-sided matchup against the dominant Lakers. Minnesota hasn’t won a game against Los Angeles since Jan. 2019, already losing to the Lakers twice this season.
[MARCHMADNESS]
Timberwolves vs. Lakers Spread Trends and Prediction: Lakers -7.5
The trends are a bit odd for this matchup. The Lakers haven’t been great against the spread, as their 19-20 ATS record ranks around the league average. While it’s better than Minnesota’s 17-21-1 ATS record, the Lakers have struggled at home. They have gone just 8-12 ATS at STAPLES Center.
However, the Lakers have started to improve in LA of late, and that points to some value on them against the spread. They covered against the Pacers on Monday and, before a home loss to the Suns on Mar. 2, they had covered in a pair of home matchups against the Trail Blazers and Warriors.
I use an NBA betting model to make a prediction for each game, and it sides against the trends tonight. It favors the Lakers by only a 3.2-point margin, but it comes to that conclusion because of the Timberwolves’ recent offensive resurgence. Although they rank fifth-worst in offensive efficiency on the year, Minnesota has been the fourth-best offense over the last three games. However, those games came against the New Orleans and Portland, two of the NBA’s bottom-three defenses. Meanwhile, the LA boast the NBA’s best defense.
I’ll play the trends and take the Lakers against the spread here. The Timberwolves may have looked good recently, but I suspect that says more about their opponents than about them.
Timberwolves vs. Lakers Total Trends and Prediction: Under 223.5
Unlike the spread, the trends point to clear value on the total. The Lakers have the league’s lowest over percentage (35.9%), and the Timberwolves sit at the league average (51.3%). Although Los Angeles’ over percentage jumps to 50% when they play at home, they have kept three of their last four home opponents to 100 points or less. That includes one of the NBA’s most efficient offenses, Portland.
These teams have met twice before, and they totaled fewer than this total in both meetings. The two games ended with totals of 216 and 218, respectively.
My model agrees with the trends and also favors the under. It projects these teams to combine for 220.9 points, a healthy margin below this total, and it comes that conclusion despite Minnesota’s strong recent offensive form.
The Latest Sports Betting Content from Stokastic Odds
- BetMGM North Carolina Pre-Registration: $200 in Bonus Bets Awaiting You When Sports Betting Launches
- Bet365 North Carolina Pre-Registration: Get $100 in Bonus Bets Before March 11
- DraftKings North Carolina Pre-Registration: Up to $300 in Bonus Bets for NC Launch on March 11!
- FanDuel North Carolina Pre-Registration: Grab $300 in Bonus Bets Between Now and March 11!
- Bet365 Louisiana Bonus Code: Bet $1, Get $365 in Bonus Bets!
- Stokastic DFS on Youtube
Click on the IMAGE BELOW to start Odds Shopping!
Timberwolves vs. Lakers NBA Betting Spread Picks + Odds Shopping
I favor the Lakers tonight, and you can get them as 7.5-point favorites at a handful of books. You’ll find the best juice (-110) at SugarHouse, DraftKings Sportsbook and William Hill. Should you disagree with my lean, you can buy the Timberwolves as 8-point favorites at BetMGM or FanDuel Sportsbook. You can also burn a half-point and take them as 7.5-point underdogs for better juice (-105) at PointsBet. That said, these lines may move as tip-off approaches, so make sure to double-check OddsShopper before placing your bet!
Timberwolves vs. Lakers NBA Betting Total Picks + Odds Shopping
I’m siding with the trends and playing the under tonight. Should you agree, you can find the highest-set total with the best juice at BetMGM (-105). Should you disagree and favor the over, you can find the lowest-set total at William Hill, or you can add a half-point for moderately better juice at SugarHouse or DraftKings (-108). As always, you can find the most recent lines directly at OddsShopper.
Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more great Awesemo content.
Check out the AwesemoOdds home page for more sports betting content, including more picks and predictions.
