Timberwolves vs. Lakers Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Friday, Oct. 24

Who will win this rematch from last year's postseason?

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle is a solid prop target on Friday. / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

A rematch from last year’s postseason takes place on Friday night, as the Los Angeles Lakers and Luka Doncic host the Minnesota Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards. 

Doncic had a 43-point showing on Tuesday night in the Lakers’ season opener against the Golden State Warriors, but it was not enough for the team to get a win without star LeBron James (sciatica) in the lineup.

Now, the Lakers find themselves as home underdogs for the second game in a row against a Timberwolves team that needed a 30-19 fourth quarter to pick up a road win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.

Edwards (41 points) was the driving force in that game while Julius Randle finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Minnesota. 

The Wolves beat the Lakers in just five games in the playoffs last season, but Los Angeles has a little more depth – especially with Deandre Ayton at center – in the 2025-26 season.

Here’s a look at the odds, players to watch and my prediction for Friday’s Western Conference showdown. 

Timberwolves vs. Lakers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Timberwolves -1.5 (+100)
• Lakers +1.5 (-120)

Moneyline

• Timberwolves: -112
• Lakers: -108

Total

• 224.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Timberwolves vs. Lakers How to Watch

• Date: Friday, Oct. 24
• Time: 10:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Crypto.com Arena
• How to Watch (TV): Prime Video
• Timberwolves record: 1-0
• Lakers record: 0-1

Timberwolves vs. Lakers Injury Reports

Timberwolves Injury Report

• Rocco Zikarsky -- available

Lakers Injury Report

• LeBron James -- out
• Adou Thiero -- out
• Maxi Kleber -- out

Timberwolves vs. Lakers Best NBA Prop Bets

Timberwolves Best NBA Prop Bet

Note: These player prop suggestions were written before prop lines were released and are based on past player performance.

• Julius Randle OVER Points, Rebounds and Assists

With the Timberwolves starting Donte DiVincenzo over Mike Conley, they didn’t have a true point guard in the lineup in their season opener. 

That leaves a lot more playmaking duties for Randle and Edwards, and Randle finished with 32 PRA against the Blazers.

In the playoffs last season against L.A., Randle averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He should be able to attack this Lakers defense in the paint, especially with James out of the lineup. 

The more Randle operates as a playmaking hub for Minnesota (he had 9.0 potential assists on Wednesday), the higher his ceiling is in this prop market.  

Timberwolves vs. Lakers Prediction and Pick

Minnesota was far from dominant in its season opener against the Blazers, but the Wolves had their way with this Lakers team last postseason, winning four of five games and advancing despite L.A. being the higher seed.

The Wolves return most of their core from that roster, and they have the size to make things tough on the Lakers without LeBron in the lineup.

Deandre Ayton was fine in his debut against Golden State, but Los Angeles struggled to generate stops all game long. Plus, the team had very little offense after Doncic (43 points) and Austin Reaves (26 points) on Tuesday.

The Timberwolves have a bunch of wing defenders they can throw at those two guys, and Reaves really struggled in the playoffs against Minnesota last season, averaging 16.2 points per game while shooting 41.1 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from 3. 

If L.A. is going to lose at home with Doncic nearly putting up a 43-point triple-double, it clearly doesn’t have much of a margin for error until James returns. 

I think the Wolves pick up a road win on Friday night. 

Pick: Timberwolves Moneyline (-112 at DraftKings)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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