The Los Angeles Lakers (five) and Minnesota Timberwolves (eight) will try to put an end to their respective losing streaks when they face off at the Staples Center. Action begins at 10:30 pm ET on Friday, Apr. 10 and can be seen on NBA TV, FSN-N and TWC SN.
The Lakers are are hoping for a better outcome after their 119-101 loss to the Nuggets on Wednesday. Ryan Kelly had a good outing, putting up 17 points, two blocks, and two assists for Los Angeles. The Timberwolves, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the deflating 116-91 loss against the Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Andrew Wiggins led the game in scoring with 29 points.
The attacking Timberwolves offense may see plenty of chances from the free throw line in this one. They rank fourth in the league at getting to the stripe (free throw attempt rate of 30.5), while Los Angeles gets whistled quite a bit (giving up a 27th-ranked free throw attempt rate of 30.5).
The Lakers lead the season series against the Timberwolves two games to one, escaping with a narrow 101-99 victory the last time these teams met. Wiggins was the top overall scorer in the game with 27 points.
Los Angeles is a six-point favorite against Minnesota and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 202 points. The Lakers come into this game 20-58 Straight Up (SU) and 37-38-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 8-40 SU and 20-26-2 ATS against the Western Conference.
Over on the other bench, the Timberwolves have a record of 32-44-2 ATS and 16-62 SU. Minnesota has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 3-7 record. The Timberwolves get to the line and convert their free throws at a high volume, ranking third in the league with 1,536 made (19.7 per game).
In their previous meeting this season, Los Angeles beat Minnesota, bumping its SU record to 6-4 over the Timberwolves in their last 10 meetings. The Lakers also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. Los Angeles and Minnesota both held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time over the last 10 games.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAL, ATS Winner – MIN, O/U – Over
Notes
On average, Minnesota scores 97.6 points per game (ranked 23rd). Los Angeles ranks 29th in points allowed per game with 105.0.
Minnesota scores an average of 98.4 points per away game (ranked 16th). Los Angeles ranks 29th in points allowed per home game with 103.0.
When giving up fewer than 100 points, the Los Angeles Lakers have a 12-14 record. When they don’t reach the century mark, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a subpar record of 6-40.
When Los Angeles gives up at least 100 points, it has an abysmal 8-44 record this season. Minnesota also has a subpar record when it hits the century mark (10-22).
The Timberwolves have a defensive rating of 108.6 (ranked 30th). The Lakers rank 24th for their offensive rating of 100.6.
Los Angeles averages fewer possessions per game than Minnesota, with 97.8 compared to 97.8. However, the Lakers score an average of 1.006 points per possession, more than the .999 that the Timberwolves score.
The Los Angeles Lakers average an effective field goal percentage of 47.3% this season. The Minnesota Timberwolves have a subpar record of 11-55 when opponents have an EFF% of 47.3% or greater.
Los Angeles has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.64 this season (ranked 15th), while Minnesota ranks lower at 21st with an A/TO of 1.51.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league with just 40.9 per game. Ranked 13th, the Los Angeles Lakers average 43.9 rebounds.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rank eighth in offensive rebounding, while the Los Angeles Lakers rank 13th in defensive rebounding.
Minnesota is one of the top teams in forced turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.1% (ranked ninth). Los Angeles has a subpar record of 4-15 SU this season when its TOV% reaches 15.1% or greater.
