Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Game 5 Preview and Play

The Minnesota Timberwolves need just one more win over the Los Angeles Lakers as they battle in Game 5 on Wednesday, April 30 at 10:00 PM ET at crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers are slight favorites at MyBookie with a point spread at -5.5 (-110).

Minnesota Timberwolves Betting Preview

The Timberwolves have scored at least 116 points in three of the four games of this series and it has resulted in wins. They took care of business in Game 4 with a 116-113 finish and arguably had the most physical play in any game so far of this series.

Despite a strong push from the Lakers in the third quarter, the Timberwolves were able to keep attacking LeBron James and Luka Doncic on the defensive end. As a result, the two of them could not carry the weight offensively in the fourth quarter and allowed their offense to blossom with Anthony Edwards (43 points).

The Timberwolves shot 42.2 percent from the field and made 38.9 percent from long range. They were strong with 48 points in the paint and only had nine turnovers that resulted in just five points for the Lakers. In other words, they had a great performance on both ends of the floor to put away the Lakers.

Minnesota is putting up 108.5 points each game, but have won all three where they made it to at least 116. The loss in Game 2 was a 94-85 showing, which definitely brings the average down a bit.

Los Angeles Lakers Betting Preview

The Lakers had a reliable game plan that would have likely worked against a majority of the teams in the league, as they played the starters for at least 35 minutes or more (Austin Reaves 35 min, James with 46). As a result, the Lakers ran out of steam on offense and looked sluggish on defense in the fourth quarter.

Doncic had 38 points and made 13 of 28 shots from the field. James had 27 points and 12 rebounds, but the Lakers as a whole only contributed 19 points in the fourth and they had a 10-point lead when they started the quarter.

The Lakers made 45.0 percent of their buckets overall while also shooting 40.4 percent from deep. One key area was turnovers, as they gave it up 12 times that turned into 19 points for the Timberwolves.

Los Angeles is accumulating 101.5 points a game, which is not where they need to be if they want to extend this series. If they had a better rotation and took care of the basketball in Game 4, this would be a different conversation.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie offers the best Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers betting odds, which currently has the Lakers as 5.5-point favorites. According to market research, the Lakers have a 61.2 percent chance of winning outright here. The Timberwolves are appealing to cover the spread, as they have a good opportunity to be within reach as the game draws closer to the end.

Final Pick: Minnesota Timberwolves +5.5 (-107)