NBA Betting Picks for Opening Day: Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Odds on October 22 (Over/Under Predictions)

The spotlight heads straight to the City of Angels on opening day as LeBron James enters a record-tying 22nd NBA season when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves this Tuesday at the Crypto.com Arena.

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

About to turn 40 in December, James ties Vince Carter for the most seasons played in league history and even more impressive is the fact that he is teammates with his eldest son, Bronny.

• Los Angeles, though, heads into this matchup as the 1.5-point underdogs according to the latest Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves betting odds.
• Minnesota has won four of their previous six matchups by an average margin of nine points, with their last encounter ending in a 124-107 victory.
• Both teams, however, were below average in the preseason with the Timberwolves posting a 2-3 (win-loss) card and the Lakers finishing 2-4.

Will the Timberwolves start life without Karl-Anthony Towns on a high note or will the Lakers protect its home court and give fans something to cheer about to begin the season? As of press time, here’s how the current Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves betting lines look.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves DraftKings NBA Odds for October 22

Moneyline

• Los Angeles Lakers: -108
• Minnesota Timberwolves: -112

Spread

• Los Angeles Lakers: +1.5 (-115)
• Minnesota Timberwolves: -1.5 (-105)

Over/Under (Total)

• OVER 219 (-108)
• UNDER 219 (-112)

Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves Injury Report

Los Angeles Lakers Injury Report

1. Armel Traore – Right Hand – Out
2. Jared Vanderbilt – Foot – Out
3. Christian Wood – Left Knee – Out

Minnesota Timberwolves Injury Report

• No Injuries

Best NBA odds for Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves

• The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves once last season. The best Los Angeles Lakers odds to win outright are available on Caesars Sportsbook at +105.
• The Minnesota Timberwolves have beaten the Los Angeles Lakers in three of their four matchups last season. FanDuel offers the best odds for the Timberwolves to win outright at -100.
• A high-scoring affair is always on the cards when the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves, with both teams hitting the over in their past three encounters. DraftKings has the best odds for the over market total at -108.

Why will the Los Angeles Lakers cover the spread?

If there is one thing to love about the Los Angeles Lakers in this opening day matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, it’s their ability to do the sensational and spectacular all in one motion at home.

• It can be recalled that the Lakers were more than impressive at home last season, having won 28 times in front of its adoring fans.
• Even more remarkable is Los Angeles' ability to cover the spread, having done so 46.34% of the time last season.
• It is also worth noting that the Timberwolves are undergoing a major transitional phase, having traded Karl-Anthony Towns and several of its key players.

With the current state of the Timberwolves and the Lakers playing at home, there could be potential value in backing the latter to cover the spread at these current odds.

Lakers seek shooting success against Timberwolves

However, for Los Angeles to do so, they’ll need their three-point shots to hit the mark against a potent offensive team like the Wolves who were among the league’s best from downtown last season.

The Lakers will also need to find ways to limit their mistakes against the Timberwolves which led the league last season for the fewest points allowed at 106.5 ppg.

Should Los Angeles find their shooting rhythm and contain the offensive exploits of explosive shooting guard Anthony Edwards, backing the Lakers to cover the spread and possibly win outright could be attractive for punters looking for a betting spot on the underdog.

Why will the Minnesota Timberwolves cover the spread?

The dawn of a new era unfolds in Minnesota’s camp as the Timberwolves begin life without Karl-Anthony Towns and hand over the reins to dynamic guard Anthony Edwards.

• Drawing comparisons to Michael Jordan, the 23-year old Edwards is coming off a career-defining season where he averaged 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while leading the Timberwolves into their first conference finals appearance in two decades.

Edwards, however, won’t be alone in Minnesota’s bid to clinch a championship this season with the team keeping most of its key players and adding the likes of Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo via trade and forward Joe Ingles in free agency.

• It is also worth noting that the Timberwolves were victorious in three of their four matchups with the Lakers last season and even more impressive is the fact that they won by an average of 9.6 points.
• Moreover, Minnesota also has a better Against-The-Spread (ATS) record than the Lakers last season, having covered the spread 51% of the time.

Plus, the Timberwolves are also taking a Lakers team that is battered and wounded with the latter missing some of its key frontcourt players in Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood due to injuries.

Timberwolves aim to leverage new acquisitions against Lakers

The only thing concerning Minnesota in this game is whether their new acquisitions can immediately adjust to the coaching playbook of head coach Chris Finch.

However, that shouldn’t pose too much of an issue considering the Timberwolves’ offense still runs through Edwards, making the -1.5 spread a value bet at these current odds.

• Another thing of note is Minnesota is taking on a Lakers team that ranks among the worst in the league for points allowed last season.

For context, Los Angeles allowed their opponents to score 117.4 points per game last season, which was seventh-worst in the league.

Final Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves NBA Prediction: Minnesota Timberwolves -1.5 (-105)

As much as I’d love to see LeBron James start year 22 on a high note, the Minnesota Timberwolves are just the more complete team right now with enough star power on both ends of the floor to play spoiler.

While the Los Angeles Lakers certainly have enough firepower to pull off the upset, the Timberwolves are just a healthier team heading into this matchup, which is why I am more inclined to pick the road squad to cover the spread at -105.