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The Los Angeles Lakers will try to get back on the winning column as they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in a battle of 2-4 teams at the Target Center in Minnesota on 10/29/18.
After an 0-3 start, the Lakers won back to back games including a big win over the then unbeaten Denver Nuggets. On Saturday, the Lakers took an 11 point lead over the San Antonio Spurs late in the third quarter, only to sputter in the fourth and then rally in the closing minute before coming up short a second time against the Spurs. Meanwhile, the Wolves are coming off their worst game of the season where they lost by 30 points against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Stalling Against The Spurs
The Los Angeles Lakers entered their Saturday night game against the San Antonio Spurs brimming with confidence. They had won back to back games and had dealt the Denver Nuggets their first loss of the season in their most previous games. But after leading by 14 points in the first half and by 11 late in the third period, the Lakers offense stalled in San Antonio, allowing the Spurs to rally and beat them 110-106. Now at 2-4 on the season, Los Angeles tries to get back on track against an equally strugglin Minnesota Timberwolves squad.
The Lakers also gave up six more free throws to the Spurs and missed 7 of their own foul shots. Had they made all of their free throw attempts, they would have won the game. Los Angeles also missed 8 free throws in their one point loss to San Antonio last week and missed seven free throws against the Rockets and Blazers, games which they both lost by 9 points. The Lakers rank 26th in the league in free throws at 71.5% and if they want to win the close games or keep the games close for them to steal in the end, they must hit their foul shots.
L.A. Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Moneyline Odds: Lakers -105, Wolves -115
Odds from Betonline.ag as of 10/28/18
Worst Effort Of The Season
Like the Lakers, the Minnesota Timberwolves are 2-4 to start the season. But unlike the Lakers, they enter this game with a two game slide and are coming off their worst effort of the season during a 95-125 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks last Saturday. The 30 point loss was the worst defeat in more than a year and for the first time this season, it did appear like Jimmy Butler did not want to play for Minnesota anymore.
Karl Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins are having underwhelming seasons so far. Towns is averaging just 16.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while Wiggins is just putting up 15.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game for the Wolves who look like they are lost in the woods to start the 2018-19 season. Derrick Rose is having a fine start with 14.8 points and 4.5 assists off the bench. But the Wolves need to do better on defense as they rank 20th in the league in points allowed st 117.2 and are only 23rd in rebounds at 43.2 per game.
Who Wins?
Los Angeles is 4-10 SU in their last 14 games played and 3-8 SU in their last 11 road games. Minnesota meanwhile is 2-6 SU in their last 8 games played but 18-7 SU in their last 25 home games. Against the Lakers, the Timberwolves are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games and 5-0 SU in their last five games when playing the Lakers in Minnesota.
These are two struggling teams but between one that is struggling because it’s coming up short in close games and another who is struggling because of internal problems, I’m going with the one that’s struggling because they are still finding chemistry. The Lakers have been competitive in all the game they have played so far and had their chance to win every game that they’ve lost.
On the other hand, the Wolves have been competitive too in their first three losses but their 30 point loss last Saturday was alarming. Although it’s just one loss, the way they lost it seemed like they didn’t have the fight in them. It may be just a bad night or it could be worse. Either way, I’m not going to risk my bet on a team like that. Not when you have LeBron James on the other side.
We’re picking the Los Angeles Lakers to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves on 10/29/19.
Other Bets To Make
The Lakers are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games and Both teams are 2-4 ATS this season and are 5-5 ATS in their last 10 meetings. The Lakers a 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games while the Wolves are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games but 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games against the Lakers. Minnesota has won the last five meetings at home by an average score of 13.6 points. Last season, the Wolves beat the Lakers by an average winning margin of 15 points per game.
L.A. Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Spread Odds: Lakers +1 (-110), Wolves -1 (-110)
Odds from Betonline.ag as of 10/28/18
The trends favor the Wolves but the numbers don’t reflect the turmoil within the organization. I think that’s the entire story of this game. Andrew Wiggins is questionable for this game and that only adds to the Wolves predicament.
Prediction: Lakers +1
The over is 5-2 in the Lakers’ last 7 games and the over is 5-1 in Los Angeles’ last 6 games on the road. The total has also gone over in 6 out of the last 9 games by Minnesota and also over in 14 out of the last 19 home games of the Timberwolves. Head to head, the over is 9-3 in their last 12 games played. The over is 4-2 in the Lakers’ six games this season and the total has gone over in 7 out of the Lakers’ last 8 games against teams with losing SU records. The total is also over in 3 out of their last four games following a loss. Meanwhile, the under is 6-1 in Minnesota’s last 7 games after two days rest but over in five out of the last six games of the Wolves after a double digit loss.
L.A. Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Over/Under Odds: Over 239 (-113), Under 239 (-107)
Odds from Betonline.ag as of 10/28/18
The Lakers are the 3rd highest scoring team in the league at 122.3 points per game but they are also second to the last (29th overall) in points per game allowed at 122. Five out of the six games the Lakers have played had a combined score of at least 235 points. The Lakers don’t play defense. They just try to outrun and out gun you. I’m calling another wild west shootout.
Prediction: Over 239
The best value bet here is the Lakers’ moneyline of -105. Sure, both teams are struggling but with a distraction in Minnesota and plenty of promise in Los Angeles, I’ll take the latter.
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