Timberwolves vs. Lakers 8:00pm
Timberwolves +1 (-110)
The early injury reports suggest that both Anthony Davis and LeBron James should be good to go for the Lakers tonight. The Timberwolves are expected to have Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns available, so we should see both of these teams just about at full strength. The Lakers and Timberwolves currently sit 1 game apart in the Western Conference standings. This is a HUGE game in terms of playoff seeding in the West. The Timberwolves beat the Lakes in LA earlier this month as -1.5 road favorites. Both teams were missing key players in that game. The other matchup this season was back in October, with the Timberwolves winning 111-102 on their home floor. Tonight we like the Timberwolves chances to complete the 3-0 sweep against the Lakers. Despite missing key players throughout the season, Minnesota’s offense ranks top 3 in the NBA in field goal percentage. The Timberwolves are also a scrappy defensive team. They rank top 5 in steals, blocks, and deflections. Our model has the Timberwolves winning this game outright. We will trust the data, and grab +1 behind the home dogs. The Lakers will likely be a large public bet tonight given the “must win” narrative. We like to fade these spots. Especially with a highly talented team, playing on their home floor, that will be equally desperate for a win tonight.