Game 5 Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves vs Los Angeles Lakers Odds, Player-Prop Picks, and Predictions

• The Lakers need a win at home in Game 5 to stave off elimination against the Timberwolves
• The Lakers are heavy favorites to extend the series on Wednesday night
• See the Game 5 Timberwolves vs Lakers odds, player-prop picks, and predictions on April 30

The Los Angeles Lakers (50-32, 31-10 home) were pushed to the brink of elimination on Sunday night during a narrow 116-113 road loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves (49-33, 24-17 away), a game LA led by as many as nine in the fourth quarter. Backs against the wall, the Lakers will host the T-Wolves at crypto.com Arena in Game 5 of the best-of-seven series on Wednesday at 7:10 pm PT/10:10 pm ET.

The good news for Lakers fans is that oddsmakers firmly believe they’ll live to see another day. Los Angeles is a 6.0-point home favorite in tonight’s Timberwolves vs Lakers odds.

Timberwolves vs Lakers Odds (Game 5)

On the moneyline, the Lakers are priced at -260 to win, which amounts to a 72.22% implied win probability. The T-Wolves come back at +210, which carries a 32.26% implied win probability. The game total is sitting at 209.5 with the over slightly favored at -115 in Wednesday’s NBA odds.

Odds as of April 30 at Caesars. Sign-up today to take part in the Caesars rewards program.

Anthony Edwards (29.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 5.8 APG in postseason) was the hero in Minnesota’s Game 4 comeback victory, scoring a series-high 43 points on 52.2% shooting (12-of-23, including 5-of-10 from three). He also added nine rebounds and a team-high six assists with just one turnover while playing 44 of 48 minutes.

Jaden McDaniels (19.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.8 APG) and Rudy Gobert (3.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG) both finished with double-digit rebounds as Minnesota wound up +8 on the glass. The T-wolves now have a 52.1 REB% in the series to LA’s 47.9%. Luka Doncic (30.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 5.0 APG) had a team-high 38 points in a losing effort for the Lakers, going 13-of-28 from the floor.

MIN vs LAL Series Scores

Games 1 and 2 of the series stayed under the total by 3.5 and 32.5 points, respectively, but Games 3 and 4 both well went over (by 12.5 and 20.5 points).

The winner has also covered the spread in each of the first four games in the series. The closest was Game 4, when the T-Wolves won by three and covered as 2.5-point chalk.

Timberwolves vs Lakers Player Props (Game 5)

NBA player props from DraftKings on April 30.

Doncic has his highest point total of the series so far at 32.5 O/U, as does Edwards at 28.5 O/U after his 43-point explosion in Game 4.

LeBron James (26.3 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 5.5 APG) has the highest rebound total of the night at 9.5 O/U while he and Doncic both have assist totals of 6.5 O/U.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs Los Angeles Lakers Predictions & Picks

• Gobert under 8.5 rebounds (-105) at DraftKings
• Jaden McDaniels over 8+ rebounds (+250) at FanDuel

I’m staying away from any plays on the moneyline or total tonight. I backed Minnesota in Games 1 and 2, and I’m having a hard time figuring out which version of the Wolves we’ll see tonight.

One thing I am confident in, though, is that Rudy Gobert’s minutes will continue to be decreased to the benefit of both Nax Rid and Jaden McDaniels. Gobert is averaging just 26 MPG in the postseason (down from 33.2 MPG in the regular season) and he logged the most minutes in Minny’s Game 2 loss (29).

Everyone with eyes can see that Minnesota’s offense is way better with floor-spacing Naz Reid at the five, and the Lakers just don’t have the size to make the Timberwolves pay at the other end for going “small”.

A correlated play with the under on Gobert’s rebound total (8.5) is McDaniels to hit eight rebounds at a juicy price of +250. He went over that number in Games 1 and 4, while grabbing four boards in Game 2 and five in Game 3. He’s averaging 7.3 RPG for the series as a whole, while playing 36.8 MPG.

Yes, that’s a big jump from the 5.7 RPG he averaged during the regular season, but it’s fully explained by the increase in minutes (28.5 MPG in regular season) that I fully expect to continue in Game 5.

The Minnesota Timberwolves will face off against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of their NBA playoff series, with both teams looking to secure a crucial victory. The odds for this matchup are tight, with the Lakers currently favored to win by a slim margin.

The Lakers will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing loss in Game 4, where they struggled to contain the Timberwolves’ offense. LeBron James will need to step up and lead his team to victory, while Anthony Davis will need to continue his strong play in the paint.

On the other side, the Timberwolves will be looking to build on their momentum from Game 4 and secure a win on the road. Karl-Anthony Towns has been dominant in the series so far, and he will need to continue his strong play if the Timberwolves are going to come out on top.

In terms of player-prop picks, look for LeBron James to have a big game for the Lakers. He has been a force on both ends of the court throughout the series, and he will likely be looking to make a statement in Game 5. Look for him to go over on points, rebounds, and assists.

For the Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns is a solid pick for player props. He has been a dominant force in the paint throughout the series, and he will likely continue to put up big numbers in Game 5. Look for him to go over on points and rebounds.

In terms of predictions, this game is shaping up to be a close one. Both teams have shown that they are capable of winning on any given night, so it could come down to which team executes better down the stretch. Ultimately, I believe that the Lakers will come out on top in a hard-fought battle, with LeBron James leading the way to a crucial victory.

Overall, Game 5 between the Timberwolves and Lakers is sure to be an exciting matchup with plenty of star power on display. Be sure to tune in to see which team comes out on top in this pivotal game.