The Los Angeles Lakers need a win to stay alive, as they host the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
The pregame narrative: I like Naz Reid to chip in for the T-Wolves and for the visitors to at least keep this one close. On the Lakers’ side, look for LeBron James and Rui Hachimura to play big minutes and put up numbers.
Check out my Timberwolves vs. Lakers playoff SGP predictions for Game 5 on Wednesday, April 30.
Lakers vs. Timberwolves predictions
Parlay: Timberwolves +9.5 | LeBron 8+ rebounds | Hachimura 2+ threes | Reid 10+ points (+525)
Timberwolves +9.5 (-215): The Lakers looked like they were going to even the series in Game 4, as they carried a nine-point lead into the final nine minutes.
But L.A.’s stars got tired, and Minnesota’s depth shone through.
Depth is a key differentiator in this series, and it’s a key reason why I wouldn’t count the T-Wolves out in any game.
The Lakers have five players at 140-plus minutes in this series. And nobody else with 75 or more.
The Timberwolves have three players at 140-plus minutes and five others at 75 minutes or more. So we’re talking about a true eight-man rotation versus a non-rotation.
Minnesota is 5-3 ATS and SU against L.A. this year. More importantly, the T-Wolves have covered a +9.5 spread in all eight games.
NBA SGP legs
LeBron 8+ rebounds (-295): Coming off three straight games with 10-plus rebounds, this should be a perfectly attainable milestone for LeBron.
- He has 8+ rebounds in 5 of 6 games vs. Minnesota since December (averaging 10.5 RPG in that span).
- LeBron has 8+ rebounds in 18 of 25 playoff games since the start of 2023.
I don’t imagine LeBron will play 46 minutes again like in Game 4. But he’s going to be on the court as much as anybody, and the 6-foot-9 positionless superstar knows how to crash the boards.
Hachimura 2+ threes (-150): Hachimura is in JJ Redick’s circle of trust, as evidenced by his 41-minute workload in Game 4.
The Japanese forward made his minutes count, going 5-of-10 from 3-point range as part of a 23-point performance.
I expect another hearty workload for Hachimura, and if that pans out, he’ll see some quality looks from beyond the arc.
Hachimura is 10-of-23 (43.5%) from deep in this series and has cashed this bet three times. During the regular season, he was a 41.3% shooter beyond the arc.
Reid 10+ points (-167): Reid was stellar in Game 1, burying 6-of-9 threes as part of a 23-point effort off the bench.
He’s been a more modest contributor in the games since, but he’s still 3-1 against this scoring milestone overall in the series.
Reid, a likely free-agent-to-be, has 10-plus points in 61 of 84 games this year (72.6%). He averaged 14.2 PPG during the regular season and has already flashed his upside in the playoffs.
Timberwolves vs. Lakers predictions made at 10:20 a.m. ET 04/30/2025.
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.