Minnesota Timberwolves vs Los Angeles Lakers Betting Pick & Prediction 3/10/24

At 9:30 ET, the 9th ranked Lakers (-118) will host the Timberwolves (-102) in a Western Conference matchup. The over/under line is set at 222.5.

Minnesota is 2nd in the West, while Los Angeles is 4th in the Pacific division. ESPN will televise the game from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES VS LOS ANGELES LAKERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Los Angeles Lakers -1

This game will be played at Crypto.com Arena at 9:30 ET on Sunday, March 10th.

WHY BET THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 117-115 in favor of the Lakers.
• Our projections have LeBron James finishing with LeBron James points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists.
• From the field, we have the Lakers finishing with a field goal percentage of 49.0% and knocking down 14 threes.

Can the Timberwolves Pull the Upset on the Road?

In Minnesota’s games this season, the average over/under line is 222.1, which is slightly lower than today’s line of 222.5. The Timberwolves have gone 32-32 on O/U bets this season, with 36 of their games having lower over/under lines than today’s.

Minnesota’s last game vs. the Cavaliers had an over/under line of 207, and the teams combined for 217 points. The Timberwolves lost the game by a score of 113-104, going into the game as 1.5-point underdogs.

Against the spread, Minnesota is 31-32 this season, including a road record of 17-15. The team’s ATS record as the underdog is 8-5, and they have failed to cover the spread in their last five road games.

Looking at their overall record, the Timberwolves are 44-20 this season, which is good for 2nd place in the Western Conference. In games against other Western Conference teams, they are 30-10 and 9-2 against division opponents.

On average, Minnesota’s games have finished with 219.8 points this season. As the underdog, their games have averaged 0.9 points less than today’s O/U line of 222.5.

So far this season, the Timberwolves have been an above-average offensive team, averaging 113.2 points per game (19th in the NBA). However, they have actually been better on the road, where they are averaging 114.6 points per game compared to 111.7 at home.

Minnesota’s offense has been efficient overall, ranking 9th in field goal percentage at 48%. They have also been one of the top three-point shooting teams in the league, hitting 38% of their attempts (3rd).

When it comes to pace, the Timberwolves are 22nd in the NBA, averaging 97.4 possessions per game. In terms of assists, they are 18th in the league at 26.3 per game.

This season, the Timberwolves’ defense is the 1st ranked defense in the NBA at 1st PPG. So far, they have held opposing offenses below the NBA scoring average in 78.1% of their games. In the terms of takeaways, Timberwolves are causing 13.8 turnovers per game, ranking 22nd in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 6th in rejections, averaging 6 blocked shots each game.

Can the Lakers Lock in a Home Win?

Today, the Lakers are favored by 1 point against the Timberwolves. This season, the Lakers have been favored in 33 of their 65 games and have a record of 22-11 in those games. As the favorite, they have gone 13-20 against the spread, with an average scoring margin of +3.5 points per game.

The Lakers’ O/U record for the season is 36-29, and the over has hit in their last two games. On average, their games have finished with a combined scoring total of 235 points, which is 12.5 points higher than today’s O/U line of 222.5.

In their most recent game, the Lakers defeated the Bucks by a score of 123-122. The O/U line for that game was 229 points. The Lakers were 4-point underdogs going into the game, and the win improved their overall record to 35-30.

In the Western Conference, the Lakers are currently in 9th place and have a 23-21 record against other teams in the West. Within the Pacific Division, they are in 4th place. The Lakers’ ATS record for the season is 29-36, with a 16-18 record at home and 13-18 on the road.

When playing at home, the Lakers are averaging 118.2 points per game, which is 10th in the NBA. Overall, they are 10th in scoring at 117.2 points per game.

So far this season, the Lakers have outscored the NBA scoring average in 49.2% of their games. In terms of pace, they are 4th in the league at 100.9 possessions per game.

When it comes to shooting, the Lakers are 3rd in field goal percentage at 49%. They are also 7th in true shooting percentage. Inside the arc, they are connecting on 56% of their shots, which is 7th in the league.

At this time, the Lakers’ defense is positioned 21st in the NBA, permitting 117.7 points per game. Los Angeles’ defense is currently forcing 13.1 turnovers per game, which is 20th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 10th in blocked shots, with an average of 5.6 rejections per game.