The Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers series shifts locations, tied at one apiece.
The pregame narrative: Los Angeles responded to a blowout defeat in the series opener with a slug-it-out victory in Game 2. I’m staying away from picking a side on Friday and am instead rolling with a superstar-filled SGP featuring LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards.
Check out my Lakers vs. Timberwolves playoff SGP predictions for Game 3 on Friday, April 25.
Lakers vs. Timberwolves predictions
Parlay: James 6+ assists | Edwards 6+ rebounds | Doncic 3+ threes (+330)
James 6+ assists (-157): LeBron has struggled as a scorer this series, shooting 43.2% from the floor and 20.0% from deep.
The ageless superstar can still contribute in other ways, and with Doncic taking over primary scoring duties, I want to key in on LeBron’s abilities as a passer.
He had seven assists in Game 2 after posting an incredible 8.2 assists per game during the regular season (sixth-best mark in NBA).
LeBron has cleared this line in 10 of his last 12 playoff games.
NBA SGP legs
Edwards over 5.5 rebounds (-122): Standing at 6-foot-4 with a jump-out-of-the-gym vertical, Edwards can contest for any rebound. And in the playoffs, he’s more than willing to go and get them.
- Edwards is averaging 7.0 rebounds across his last 20 playoff games.
- In that span, he’s 14-6 against this line (2-0 this series).
This is also a great matchup for Edwards, considering the Lakers don’t have a true big man. Jaxson Hayes has been starting at centre but is playing less than 10 minutes a night, leaving 6-foot-7 Dorian Finney-Smith to do most of the work.
The Lakers allowed the 11th-most rebounds per game to shooting guards over the last 30 days of the NBA season, per Fantasy Pros.
Doncic 3+ threes (-225): Backing Doncic on this total seems pretty safe to me, even though he went 2-of-8 from deep in Game 2.
The superstar had cleared this line in six straight games prior, averaging 4.8 makes on 9.5 attempts per game (50.5% shooting).
That includes a 5-of-10 shooting performance in the series opener.
Doncic has cleared this line in six of his last seven playoff games against the Timberwolves, dating back to last year’s Western Conference finals when he was on the Dallas Mavericks.
Lakers vs. Timberwolves predictions made at 11:00 a.m. ET 04/25/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.