Timberwolves vs. Lakers NBA Playoffs: Betting Odds, Series Prediction, and Best Bets

In the final regular-season standings, only one game separated 3rd from 6th in the Western Conference standings. The Minnesota Timberwolves earned the No. 6 seed and are now tasked with facing the No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers.

Over four regular-season meetings, the two split the series 2-2. What can we expect from the Timberwolves against the Lakers? Let's look at FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA playoff odds and circle our best bet for this series.

All NBA betting odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Timberwolves vs. Lakers Series Betting Odds

The Lakers currently hold -196 odds (or 66.2% implied probability) to win this series. The over/under is also -152 for over 5.5 games, suggesting this series should go six or seven games.

With Los Angeles holding +112 odds to cover the -1.5 series spread, where can we find value among the series odds?

Best Bets for Timberwolves vs. Lakers NBA Playoff Series

Series Correct Score: Lakers 4-3 (+390)

Three-point shooting will make the T-Wolves a dangerous team in the postseason with the sixth-highest three-point shot distribution, per Dunks & Threes. That's capped with the fifth-most made and attempted triples per contest.

Considering Minnesota shoots an impressive 37.7% from deep (fourth-highest), this will be one of the Lakers' biggest concerns for the upcoming series. L.A. gives up the 12th-highest shot distribution from three, 16th-most makes per game, and 12th-most attempts per contest. The perimeter defense is mediocre, at best.

Purely banking on the Wolves' three-point shooting would be a pretty volatile way of betting this series. However, we have more favorable numbers for Minnesota.

Since the Lakers acquired Luka Doncic, the two have faced only once. In that matchup, Los Angeles lived at the charity stripe with 46 free throw attempts -- far over its season average of 23.2 (third-most). The Wolves log the 12th-fewest personal fouls per game. The Lakers getting this much work at the free throw line was an anomaly that feels bound to come down.

The T-Wolves are even in the top half of offensive and defensive rebounding percentages while Los Angeles ranks 24th and 18th in the categories. Alongside the ability to light it up from three-point land, Minnesota should be able to limit the Lakers' dependence on free throws while potentially winning the possession battle.

Ultimately, I like the Timberwolves to push this series to seven games. It's still difficult to bet against LeBron James and Luka. Star power alone has me on Los Angeles to escape this series, but Minnesota is a legitimate threat.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.