The Minnesota Timberwolves (8-12) will be at home when they challenge the Los Angeles Lakers (3-18). Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Dec. 9 and can be seen on TWC and FNo.
The Timberwolves are expecting a better outcome after their 110-106 loss to the Clippers on Monday. Ricky Rubio had a solid performance, putting up 16 points, seven assists, and five rebounds for Minnesota. The Lakers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 102-93 loss against the Raptors on Monday. Kobe Bryant led the team in scoring with 21 points.
This one isn’t expected to be close when the Timberwolves, a substantial eight-point favorite, take on the Lakers. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of 204 points. The Timberwolves have gone 8-12 Straight Up (SU) and 10-9-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 3-6 SU and 4-4-1 ATS against the Western Conference. The Timberwolves are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throws made, making an impressive 22.0 per game.
As for their opponent, the Lakers have a record of 7-14 ATS and 3-18 SU. Los Angeles has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 3-7 record. One advantage for the Lakers could be Minnesota’s high fouls per game average of 23.4.
Minnesota beat Los Angeles in their most recent meeting this season, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over the last 10 meetings. They are also even ATS in their last 10 games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Min, ATS Winner – Min, O/U – Over
Notes
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota’s last 6 games at home.
Minnesota is 2-17 SU in its last 19 games at home.
Minnesota is 1-10-1 ATS in its last 12 games at home.
Minnesota is 5-20 SU in their last 25 games when playing LA Lakers.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota’s last 6 games when playing LA Lakers.
Minnesota is 2-13 SU in their last 15 games when playing at home against LA Lakers.
Minnesota is 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games when playing at home against LA Lakers.
Minnesota scores an average of 101.1 points per game (ranked 15th). Los Angeles ranks 27th in points allowed per game with 105.5.
On average, Minnesota puts up 99.0 points per home game (ranked 21st). Los Angeles ranks 23rd in points allowed per road game with 105.7.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Timberwolves are 6-3 on the season. When the Lakers score fewer than 100, they are an underachieving 1-13.
Both Minnesota and Los Angeles have losing records when they allow and score at least 100 points, respectively. The Timberwolves are 2-9 in the former situation, and the Lakers are 2-5 in the latter.
The Lakers have a defensive rating of 107.9 (ranked 29th). The Timberwolves rank 18th for their offensive rating of 101.6.
On average, Minnesota has 99.5 possessions per game and scores 1.016 points on each possession. Los Angeles has both fewer possessions (99.1) and scores fewer points during those possessions (.972).
Minnesota has an average effective field goal percentage of 47.7%. Los Angeles is a subpar 1-14 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Timberwolves average 20.3 assists per game (ranked 23rd), while the Lakers rank last in the league with just 17.9.
The Minnesota Timberwolves average 4.8 blocks per game for a rank of 18th. The Los Angeles Lakers rank higher (16th), earning 4.9 blocks each contest.
Minnesota is ranked 20th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Los Angeles ranks 17th in defensive rebounds.
The Minnesota Timberwolves average 7.0 steals per game. When giving up 7 or more steals, the Los Angeles Lakers have an underachieving record (2-10) this season.
