LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and the Lakers look to stay hot against Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves on Friday, after Los Angeles won Game 2 in bounce-back fashion. Tensions have been high early and often in this series, so tonight should be quite the battle.
The Sporting News has you covered with the latest odds for this marquee Game 3 matchup. We'll also hand-pick the best NBA bets tonight, including our moneyline, spread and over/under picks and the top player props from BetMGM.
Let's get right to it. Here are the odds for Lakers vs. Wolves in Minnesota, as well as our final score prediction and full betting recommendations.
Lakers vs. Wolves: Spread, moneyline, over/under
All odds and props are from BetMGM, an authorized gaming operator of the NBA.
- ATS: Wolves -3.5 (-110) | Lakers +3.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Wolves -150 | Lakers +125
- Over/under: O 206.5 (-110) | U 206.5 (-110)
Just like Game 2 in Los Angeles, oddsmakers like the loser from last game to bounce back. Minnesota went 25-16 at Target Center this season, but just 17-23-1 ATS at home and 14-22 ATS as a home favorite. The Lakers have gone 29-15 straight up and 27-17 ATS since January 21.
Lakers vs. Wolves best bets and final score prediction
When we last wrote about the Lakers, we told fans, bettors and oddsmakers to RELAX, Aaron Rodgers style. LeBron James has never been known as a Game 1 assassin — he's a marathon, not sprint type of postseason player — and Game 2 fit right into his playoff career narrative.
The Game.1 disappointment clearly served as a wakeup call for JJ Redick's squad. Reports from the Los Angeles camp alluded to the Lakers having one of the best practices of the year following that loss. Then, Bron, Luka and company proceeded to beat the Wolves to a pulp 34-15 in the first quarter of Game 2 — and ultimately win 94-85.
Don't expect the Lakers to give back momentum. There's a reason LeBron has a 41-14 record over his 55 career playoff series (a .745 winning percentage). He knows who to target, how to execute attacks, and when to go for the throat. And he's got the reigning Western Conference Finals MVP by his side.
Nobody on the Wolves can contain a motivated Luka or LeBron. And don't count on Minnesota even sniffing the outside shooting it enjoyed in Game 1 (50% from three). If Anthony Edwards doesn't go nuclear against this underrated Lakers D, Chris Finch's squad might have trouble bagging another win in this series.
It won't be pretty. It will likely get physical once again. There will be flops. Few high-school coaches will share the game tape from this contest when instructing their young players how to play the game. But in the end, the two best players on the court will most likely prevail.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Lakers 104, Wolves 100 — The Lakers win (+125) and the score goes just UNDER the projected total of 206.5.
Lakers vs. Wolves top player prop bet
Luka Doncic, G, Lakers: OVER 47.5 points + rebounds + assists (-120)
Fade the triple-double props — because how frustrating was Luka finishing with 31, 12 and NINE on Tuesday!? Instead, opt for the easy combined points, rebounds and assists OVER. He cleared this target by nearly five last time out, and he's averaging 48.2 PRA over his postseason career.
Doncic also seems to relish getting the best of Ant-man, and we know how fun a fired-up and petty Luka can be at this time of the year. Let's smash the OVER and enjoy the Friday night show in Minneapolis.
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