NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves at San Antonio Spurs
Scott Wachter / USA TODAY Sports

We've got another exciting Western Conference matchup on Thursday's NBA schedule as the Minnesota Timberwolves will host the Los Angeles Lakers. Minnesota is 20-6 overall and 11-1 at home, while Los Angeles is 15-13 overall and 5-10 on the road. The Wolves won two of three matchups last season, although the teams split the two games in Minnesota. The Wolves are 14-9 against the spread in 2023-24, while the Lakers are 11-17 versus the number.

Tip-off is at 9 p.m. ET at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Minnesota is favored by 6.5 points in the latest Timberwolves vs. Lakers odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 225 points. Before entering any Lakers vs. Timberwolves picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the 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 five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 9 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 101-52 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Los Angeles vs. Minnesota. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Lakers vs. Timberwolves:

  • Timberwolves vs. Lakers spread: Timberwolves -6.5
  • Timberwolves vs. Lakers over/under: 225 points
  • Timberwolves vs. Lakers money line: Timberwolves: -250, Lakers: +203
  • Timberwolves vs. Lakers picks: See picks at SportsLine

What you need to know about the Timberwolves

The Timberwolves unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Wednesday as they took a 127-113 bruising from the Philadelphia 76ers. The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Anthony Edwards, who scored 27 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists. Karl-Anthony Towns added 23 points, while Jaden McDaniels chipped in with 21 points.

The Wolves have the league's best defense, topping the association in both defensive rating and points allowed per game. Three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert, is averaging 2.3 blocks, which is his most since the 2020-21 season. His interior defense is a big reason why Minnesota holds opponents to the lowest field goal percentage in the NBA. The Wolves have been one of the strongest teams against the spread at the Target Center, going 8-3-1 ATS at home. See which team to pick here.

What you need to know about the Lakers

Meanwhile, the Lakers' recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Wednesday after their third straight loss. The Lakers fell 124-108 to the Chicago Bulls on the road. LeBron James led the charge in the losing effort by almost dropping a triple-double on 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

The Lakers are 0-4 against the spread since claiming the inaugural In-Season Tournament, and playing for the second time in two nights won't help in that regard. Los Angeles has failed to cover in all five of its games on the second half of a back-to-back this season. Los Angeles hasn't released its injury report yet, but it's important to note that James did not play in the second part of the team's last back-to-back set. See which team to pick here.

Key Betting Info

The Lakers better be ready for this one, as the Timberwolves are 17-2 when favored to win this season. The Lakers can't catch a break as the underdog this season and currently sit at 2-6 in that position.

Some of the betting trends to consider are:

  • The Lakers are 2-9-1 against the spread in their last 12 games vs teams that win more than 55% of games.
  • The Timberwolves are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games versus teams that win more than 55% of games.
  • The Timberwolves are 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games when at home.

How to make Timberwolves vs. Lakers picks

The model has simulated Wolves vs. Lakers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that hits in almost 70% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Lakers vs. Timberwolves, and which side of the spread hits almost 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Lakers vs. Wolves spread you need to jump on Thursday, all from the model on a 101-52 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, and find out.