Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers Picks and Prediction, Friday, October 24, 2025
The Lakers will look to get off the mark in their home opener this Friday as Minnesota visits the West Coast. Get the inside track on this matchup with our Timberwolves vs. Lakers prediction and picks. Tip-off is scheduled for 7pm PT (10pm ET) at the Crypto.com Arena, home of the Lakers.
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Timberwolves begin with comeback win
The Timberwolves (1-0) came out firing in the fourth quarter to snatch a win off Portland in their 2025-26 NBA season debut on Wednesday. Trailing by seven points at the end of the third, Minnesota put up 30 points to take a 118-114 win over its division rivals and start the year on a positive note.
Anthony Edwards was the star of the show for the Timberwolves. The guard had a monster outing, putting up 41 points and seven rebounds to set a new Minnesota scoring record for the first game of the season. He shot 14-28 from the field and 5-10 from behind the line while sinking a perfect eight from eight free throws. Last year, Edwards averaged 20.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists and finished seventh in MVP voting, leading the NBA with 320 3-pointers made. The Timberwolves finished 49-33 in 2024-25 and battled through to the Western Conference finals, where they were outgunned 4-1 by the Thunder.
Lakers go down in opener
The Los Angeles Lakers (0-1) had no answer for Jimmy Butler and the Warriors in their season opener on Tuesday, going down 119-109. They will look at some poor shooting from deep, sinking just eight three-pointers to Golden State's 17, and particularly from the free-throw line as the reason for that early setback. LA shot a dismal 60.7% of its free throws (17-28) on Tuesday, with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves missing three each.
It was otherwise a dominant night for a slimmer Doncic as he started his first full season on the West Coast following last year's trade from Dallas. Doncic put up 43 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists to just miss out on a triple-double to start the campaign. Reaves was a strong foil alongside the point guard in the backcourt with 26 points, five rebounds, and nine assists, helping to fill the gap left by LeBron James, currently sidelined with a sciatica injury. Doncic tweaked his groin late against the Warriors but should be cleared to play Friday after playing down the severity of the complaint.
James, Maxi Kleber (oblique) and Adou Thiero (knee) all look set to miss out on Friday. The Lakers are looking to improve on a mediocre 2024-25 campaign, where they suffered a first-round playoff exit at the hands of Minnesota.
Timberwolves vs. Lakers Pick
Timberwolves vs. Lakers Spread Pick
- Timberwolves -1.5 (5 Units)
Even playing on the road, I like the Timberwolves to continue the dominance over LA it showed in the postseason and take the win. The Lakers looked weak under the rim against Golden State, with DeAndre Ayton failing to convince at center. This looks like a tough matchup against formidable Minnesota big Rudy Gobert and one that the Lakers are not going to enjoy. The Timberwolves went 6-3 against LA last year, including a 4-1 blowout in the playoffs where they took two of three games at the Crypto.com Arena.
Take the Timberwolves.
Timberwolves vs. Lakers Over/Under Pick
- Over 223.5 (5 Units)
Edwards and Doncic have both laid down markers to start the year, and with those two superstars on opposite sides of the court, this looks like a big-scoring game all the way. Minnesota and LA each hit the over in their opening games. Last year, the Timberwolves went 52-45 on the over and 39-28 in conference games.
Take the over.