Timberwolves vs. Lakers Predictions, Picks & Odds: NBA Playoffs Game 2, Today 4/22
Saturday night, the very first day of the 2025 NBA playoffs, wrapped up in Los Angeles, which saw the Lakers fall in rather convincing fashion to the Minnesota Timberwolves. After two full days off, LA will look to bounce back before going on the road, and we’ve got our best Timberwolves vs. Lakers predictions for Game 2 tonight.
We’ll also help fans in Minnesota & California take full advantage of the best bet from our Timberwolves vs. Lakers picks with a $1,000 Underdog promo code bonus.
Timberwolves vs. Lakers Predictions For Tonight NBA Playoffs Game 2, 4/22
Coming out of Saturday night’s series opener, all the talk was about Minnesota’s three-point clinic, and rightfully so. We’ll dive more into some of those numbers but there’s another aspect of the Timberwolves' 22-point victory that isn’t being talked about nearly enough.
While Minnesota did shoot phenomenally from deep, what happened down low with the matchup of centers was head-scratching. Lakers big man Jaxon Hayes, who said Rudy Gobert wasn’t his main focus (what?) played just eight minutes, scored one point and recorded three boards.
However, Gobert didn’t perform much better, scoring just two points and pulling down six rebounds in 24 minutes. It looks as though this may be a series that truly is all about the flashiness of Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Anthony Edwards.
Minnesota Timberwolves: The Three-Point Barrage
As promised - the three-point barrage put on by Minnesota that has fans and analysts alike talking about the Timberwolves. In the first half alone, Minnesota made 11 shots from beyond the arc, which tied a franchise record. Apparently just tying a record wasn’t good enough for them.
They ended the game with 21 total made threes, which set the franchise record in Minnesota. Perhaps even more notable is the fact that they did so while being quite efficient, going 21-for-42 from three-point range. While that remains the big storyline, the Timberwolves also outscored the Lakers 44-32 in the paint.
Los Angeles Lakers: Luka’s Lightning Start Not Enough
Heading into Game 1, arguably the biggest storyline was how badly Luka Doncic torched the Timberwolves in last year’s postseason - specifically Rudy Gobert - when he was with the Dallas Mavericks. Well, he wasted no time proving that he could do it in Los Angeles as well.
Luka started Game 1 with an incredible 16 points in the first quarter alone en route to 37 points in total - the most in an LA playoff debut besides Shaq. That’s how the Lakers got off to a seven-point lead heading into the second quarter, which is where everything went wrong. They were outscored 38-20 heading into the halftime locker room and were never able to recover.
Timberwolves vs. Lakers Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
Despite Saturday’s blowout loss, the Timberwolves vs. Lakers odds for Game 2 have LA favored just as much as Game 1:
- Point Spread: Minnesota Timberwolves +5 (-110) vs. Los Angeles Lakers -5 (-110)
- Money Line: Minnesota Timberwolves (+170) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (-205)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 215.5 (-110) vs. Under 215.5 (-110)
Timberwolves vs. Lakers Best Bet: LeBron James Over 23.5 Points (Use For Underdog Daily Fantasy Contests)
Minnesota shot incredibly from three, the Lakers defense was poor all around AND it was LA’s biggest home playoff loss since 2013. So, naturally, the focus of our Timberwolves vs. Lakers predictions are going to be on LA.
Not only do we expect the Lakers to even up the series before heading to Minnesota, but this plate prop approach is arguably our favorite play of the entire set of Game 2’s. When it comes to the King, doubting him to get back atop the throne after a mediocre performance hasn’t been a good idea for two decades now.
After all, the sheer fact that just 19 points in a playoff game is a bad night speaks to how dominant he can be. Speaking of the playoffs, we expect a LeBron that we saw in last year’s first round. That came against the Denver Nuggets, so it’s safe to say that he had to deal with a dominant center in that series as well with Nikola Jokic.
Even with that being the case, LeBron scored 26+ points in ALL five games, including back-to-back 30-point games in the final two games when everything was on the line. Along with over 28 career points per game in the playoffs, we have LeBron James over 23.5 points as the best bet (target fantasy contests at Underdog) from our Timberwolves vs. Lakers predictions.
Timberwolves vs. Lakers Injury Report & Starting Lineups
When it comes to Timberwolves vs. Lakers injury news, nothing has changed since prior to Game 1, which is good news for both teams AND fans. What will be interesting is watching to see minute allocation, especially with Jaxson Hayes. Until we see otherwise, he’s still listed in the expected Timberwolves vs. Lakers starting lineups for Game 2:
MIN Timberwolves:
LA Lakers:
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Player News
Buddy Hield had 15 points (5-of-14 FGs), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and four three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Hield moved into the Warriors’ starting lineup in the first round and the team became somewhat reliant on his scoring. With Stephen Curry (hamstring) out in Game 2, Hield started and played 29 minutes. The 32-year-old shooting guard led the Warriors in field goal attempts, though no one in a Golden State uniform was able to reach 20 points. The Warriors weren’t able to overcome a double-digit first half deficit. Despite the four made three-pointers, they’re going to need more from Hield as the series shifts to Golden State, especially if Curry remains out.
Jimmy Butler had 17 points (6-of-13 FGs), seven rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Butler couldn’t get it done without Stephen Curry (hamstring) on the road in Game 2. The Warriors fell behind by double-digits early and never recovered. Butler had 17 points on 13 shots, which wasn’t far off from the 20 points he had in Game 1. Still, the Warriors have to regroup as they head home for Games 3 and 4 as they try to figure out a way to keep this series close until Curry can return to the court.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 20 points (7-of-13 FGs), two rebounds, three assists, one block and four three-pointers in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Alexander-Walker was a key scorer off the bench in Game 2. He, Naz Reid and Donte DiVencenzo combined for 10 made three-pointers off the bench. In a game where the Warriors were desperate for scoring without Stephen Curry (hamstring), those bench points were too much to overcome as the Timberwolves won by 24 points.
Julius Randle had 24 points (10-of-17 FGs), seven rebounds, 11 assists and one three-pointer in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Randle led the Timberwolves in scoring in the Game 2 victory. The 30-year-old power forward was just three rebounds away from a triple-double. He was a steadying presence in his 33 minutes as Anthony Edwards dealt with an ankle injury towards the end of the first half. Edwards recovered from his injury to play 34 minutes, but Randle is still the next most important player in this series for the Timberwolves.
Anthony Edwards had 20 points (6-of-13 FGs), nine rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block and two three-pointers in the Timberwolves’ 117-93 victory over the Warriors in Game 2 on Thursday.
Edwards appeared to suffer a sprained left ankle towards the end of the second quarter as the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis landed on his foot. Edwards turned the same ankle in the first round against the Lakers and appeared to re-aggravate the injury. The 23-year-old shooting guard would go on to start the second half and play a team-high 34 minutes in the Game 2 victory. Edwards will only have one full day off before the series resumes in Golden State for Game 3 on Saturday.
Warriors will start Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Quinten Post in Game 2 against the Timberwolves on Thursday.
No surprise here as Curry was always a long shot to make it back for Game 2 after leaving Game 1 with hamstring injury. While there has been a report that the 37-year-old point guard is expected to miss a week, there is no firm timetable for his return. The Warriors will go big with their starting lineup for Game 2 with center Quinten Post entering the lineup in Curry’s absence.