The honeymoon period is over in Los Angeles. There are reports that Lakers coach Luke Walton is already on the hot seat as the team has struggled out of the gate in 2018-19 despite the offseason addition of LeBron James. The season is young but the pressure is on as Los Angeles hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves this week.
The T-Wolves are no strangers to discord, as they have been dealing with Jimmy Butler drama for the past couple of months. This will be an interesting early-season game between a pair of teams that have no shortage of subplots.
The teams have identical records, but the combination of James and the home court advantage should make the Lakers the favorite in NBA gambling.
This NBA basketball game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California at 10:30 p.m ET on Wednesday, November 7th, 2018. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
We'll have NBA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NBA season.
NBA Betting at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
The Timberwolves are 4-6 on the season. They have lost two straight but both were tough road matchups against the Warriors and Trail Blazers. Minnesota has a point-differential of negative-6.7, which is second-worst in the Western Conference and something to worry about.
The Lakers are also 4-6 on the season but they have a better point-differential. Los Angeles has only won two of its five home games and certainly needs to improve on that moving forward. The Lakers have the best player on the court and will be the team to beat.
The scoring total in this one figures to be high, and don’t forget about the live betting option. It allows gamblers to wager on the action even after the game has started in NBA odds.
Injury Report
The Timberwolves are still without point guard Jeff Teague, who has missed four straight games with a knee injury. The prospects of him playing don’t seem too great, but definitely keep an eye on his availability in case anything changes.
If Teague sit as expected, Derrick Rose could have a big role. He exploded for 50 points in a memorable game last week against the Jazz, although he has only 12 points combined in his past two games and he sat out a third. Rose seems likely to play, and it will be interesting to see what kind of role he has in this one.
Player To Watch
LeBron James -- The Lakers’ fortunes could be tied to how well their star jells with the rest of the team. James’ numbers are good, as he is averaging 26.8 points, 7.7 assists and 7.6 rebounds but it hasn’t resulted in great success.
James is still learning the style of his new teammates, and the record figures to get better as the season goes along. However, with all of the noise around Walton’s job security, it’s imperative that things get better quickly, and that starts with a dominant performance from James as he can lift the Lakers to a win almost by himself.
Free NBA ATS Picks
If Butler was fully on board the T-Wolves would be a better team but his unhappiness has made things tough for Minnesota. The team could continue to struggle until there is some sort of resolution.
The Lakers have been decent with a full lineup, as they had to deal with early-season suspensions to Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo. Look for Los Angeles to help its embattled coach with a victory in this showdown.
Don’t forget about the live betting option as it is a fun way to add to the bankfoll in the midst of the action in NBA gambling.
NBA ATS Pick: Los Angeles Lakers 121, Minnesota Timberwolves 111
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
