The Los Angeles Lakers will travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota to face the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center on Saturday night with the game scheduled to start at 8:00 PM ET and will air on Bally Sports North.

Los Angeles enters this game in 8^th place in the Western Conference with a record of 17-15 and has won two of their last three games including Thursday’s 133-112 win at home against the Charlotte Hornets. The Lakers have been a below-average scoring team, however, they have been one of the better defensive teams in the league as they enter this game averaging 114.91 points per game which is below the league average of 115.4 points per game while ranking 15^th in the league in points allowed per game with an average of 114.33 points allowed per game, however, they have one of the worst teams defensively on the road as they are allowing the 7^th most points per game on the road in the NBA with an average of 120.65 points per game. 

Anthony Davis has been one of the better players for the Lakers this season as he enters this game averaging a double-double with 24.9 points and 12.3 rebounds per game while also leading the team in blocks with an average of 2.53 blocks per game. The Los Angeles Lakers will look to build off the momentum following the win against the Hornets when they travel to face the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been one of the best teams in the NBA this season as they enter this game in 1^st place in the Western Conference and have the 2^nd best record in the NBA only trailing the Boston Celtics. Minnesota has won three of their last four games including a 118-110 win at home against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. The success of the Timberwolves this season can be attributed to their defensive play as they are allowing the fewest points per game in the league with an average of 107.43 points per game and are only allowing an average of 101.71 points per game at home. 

However, the Timberwolves have been a below-average scoring team this season as they are averaging 113.43 points per game. Rudy Gobert is averaging a double-double this season as he enters this matchup averaging 12.9 points and 12 rebounds per game while also leading the team in blocks with an average of 2.23 blocks per game. The Minnesota Timberwolves will look to get their 4^th win in their last five games when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.

BookMaker has the Minnesota Timberwolves listed as 3.5-point favorites at home against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night. Minnesota has won six of the last ten while Los Angeles has won two of the last three meetings. The Timberwolves are 7-3 ATS in the last ten while the Lakers are 2-1 ATS in the last three games in the series. The Los Angeles Lakers are 15-18 ATS overall, 7-10 ATS on the road, and 5-6 ATS as an underdog this season while the Minnesota Timberwolves are 15-13-2 ATS overall, 8-4-2 ATS at home, and 11-8-2 ATS as a favorite on the year.

Minnesota has been the better team this season and has covered the spread in seven of the last ten games in the series. The Timberwolves have also been the better team at covering the spread this season as they are 15-13-2 ATS overall while the Lakers are 15-18 ATS overall. Buy the .5 point and lay the points with the Minnesota Timberwolves when they host the Los Angeles Lakers.