Lakers vs. Timberwolves prediction, odds, spread, time: 2023 NBA picks, March 3 best bets by proven model

Teams battling for Western Conference playoff positioning meet Friday when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers (30-33) sit in 11th in the West, 1.5 games behind Minnesota, who is currently the No. 8 seed. Both sides will be missing at least one key piece in this one with LeBron James (foot) out for Los Angeles and Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) out for Minnesota. D’Angelo Russell, acquired in a midseason trade from Minnesota, is also out for the Lakers with an ankle injury.

Tipoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Minnesota as the 2-point favorite in the latest Lakers vs. Timberwolves odds. The over/under for total points is set at 229. Before locking in any Timberwolves vs. Lakers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer simulation model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model enters Week 20 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 57-30 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Lakers vs. T’Wolves and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for T’Wolves vs. Lakers:

• Lakers vs. Timberwolves spread: Timberwolves -2
• Lakers vs. Timberwolves over/under: 229 points
• Lakers vs. Timberwolves money line: Timberwolves -130, Lakers +110
• Lakers vs. Timberwolves picks: See picks here

What you need to know about the Lakers

Los Angeles is building momentum as it chases down a postseason spot. The Lakers are 4-1 both straight up and against the spread in their last five games. That includes an outright upset of the Thunder on the road on Wednesday as the Lakers won 123-117 despite being 3-point underdogs. Anthony Davis missed that one with foot soreness, but he’s listed as probable for Friday.

He’ll be asked to carry a large load with James and Russell on the shelf. Malik Beasley, who played for Minnesota from 2019-22, has provided offense for Los Angeles since coming over via trade last month. He’s averaging 12.9 points per game for Los Angeles but he’s gone off for 22 or more points twice in just five starts.

What you need to know about the Timberwolves

The Timberwolves beat the Lakers earlier this season, winning 111-102 and covering as 7-point favorites at home. Anthony Edwards scored 29 points, while Rudy Gobert had a big night with 22 points and 21 rebounds. 

Both rosters have reshaped a bit since that October meeting and Minnesota comes into this matchup having lost three of its last four, though the Timberwolves did upset the Clippers Tuesday night on the road. Edwards leads the team with 24.6 points, while Gobert (13.4 ppg) is the next leading scorer among available players. 

How to make Lakers vs. Timberwolves picks

The model has simulated Timberwolves vs. Lakers 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over on the point total, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in more than 50% of simulations. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Timberwolves vs. Lakers? And which side of the spread hits in more than 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.