Minnesota Timberwolves vs Los Angeles Lakers Prediction, 1/2/2022 NBA Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Minnesota Timberwolves vs Los Angeles Lakers

Date: Sunday, January 2, 2022

Location: Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA

TV: Spectrum SportsNet

Crypto.com Arena is the location where the Los Angeles Lakers (17-19) will try to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves (16-18) on Sunday.

The Timberwolves faced the Knicks and went home with a loss by a final score of 96-88 in their last game. Minnesota ended having earned a 40.0% field goal percentage (34 of 85) and knocked down 7 of their 38 shots from beyond the arc. From the charity stripe, the Timberwolves buried 13 of 20 tries for a rate of 65.0%. In reference to rebounding, they compiled 45 with 10 of them being of the offensive sort. They also distributed 22 assists for this contest as well as forcing the other team into 4 turnovers and having 6 steals. When it comes to defending, Minnesota allowed the other team to go 41.1% from the field on 37 out of 90 shooting. New York recorded 54 assists and had 20 steals in this matchup. Furthermore, New York had 39 rebounds (15 offensive, 24 defensive) and had 11 rejections. New York finished the contest at 37.5% when shooting free throws by knocking down 6 of 16 attempts. They converted 16 out of their 40 tries from beyond the arc. In relation to personal fouls, the Timberwolves walked away with 22 and the Knicks had 15 personal fouls.

Jaden McDaniels is one player who was a major factor for the contest. He scored 18 points on 7 of 11 shooting. He saw the court for 36 mins and also snagged 6 boards. McDaniels ended up shooting 63.6% from the floor but had no assists when the game ended.

Get all of our NBA Expert Picks

Minnesota will enter this contest with a record of 16-18 for the season. They lose possession by turning the ball over 15.2 times per game and as a squad are committing 22.3 personal fouls per game. As a unit, Minnesota is grabbing 45.3 boards per game and has earned 802 assists so far this year, which has them ranked 19th in the league in terms of passing. The Timberwolves are hitting 34.0% on shots from downtown (481 of 1,416) and 76.5% from the free throw line. They average 108.1 points per game (14th in the NBA) on 42.9% from the floor.

On the defensive end of the court, the Timberwolves are forcing their opponents into 16.8 turnovers per game while drawing 20.4 fouls. They currently rank 22nd in the NBA in giving up assists to their opponents with 864 conceded on the season. The Timberwolves are giving up a shooting percentage of 44.7% (1,315 of 2,942) and they concede 47.1 rebounds per game as a team. They give up 33.8% on shots from beyond the arc and they are ranked 20th in the NBA in opponents PPG (108.8).

When they last stepped on the court, the Lakers took a loss by a score of 104-99 against the Grizzlies. The Lakers were able to snag 32 defensive boards and 7 offensive rebounds for a total of 39 in this contest. They coughed it up 18 times, while earning 5 steals for this contest. The Grizzlies earned 12 fouls in this contest which took the Lakers to the charity stripe for 8 attempts. They were able to bury 6 of them for a rate of 75.0%. Pertaining to three-point attempts, Los Angeles buried 15 out of 41 attempts (36.6%). Overall, the Lakers finished 39 for 86 from the floor which had them at 45.3%. The Lakers permitted the Grizzlies to make 35 of their 85 tries from the field which had them at 41.2% in this game. They finished the game shooting 33.3% from behind the 3-point line by going 10 out of 30 and ended up shooting 24 out of 29 at the free throw line (82.8%). Concerning how they cleaned up the glass, Los Angeles allowed Memphis to grab 30 overall (13 on the offensive glass).

LeBron James pitched in for the Lakers for this game. James tallied 37 points in his 38 mins on the court and had 7 assists for the matchup. He made 13 of 25 in this contest for a field goal percentage of 52.0%, and accounted for 13 rebounds.

Los Angeles has a record of 17-19 so far this season. In terms of offensive execution, the Lakers are connecting on 46.2% from the floor, which has them ranked 8th in the league. Los Angeles has earned 3,970 pts so far this year (110.3 per contest) and they collect 45.9 boards per game. Their rate of earning assists is at 24.3 times per game (11th in the league) and they are giving up possession 15.9 times per contest. The Lakers are responsible for committing 20.4 personal fouls every game and they shoot 72.7% from the free throw line.

The Los Angeles defense surrenders 34.2% on 3-point attempts (461 of 1,346) and their opponents are knocking down 75.1% of their free throw attempts. They surrender 25.4 assists and 47.0 rebounds every game, which is 25th and 26th in the league. The Lakers on the defensive side of the court are 27th in the league in PPG given up with 112.4. They have forced 15.0 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 44.7% from the floor (13th in the league).

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Minnesota

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here