Timberwolves vs. Lakers Preview: Playoff Series Analysis

SportsGrid

Watch Timberwolves vs. Lakers Preview: Playoff Series Analysis - SportsGrid on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00The Lakers at minus 186 to win this series outright against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

00:06Game number one, our nightcap tomorrow on a Saturday evening inside Crypto.com Arena

00:11in downtown LA. DRS, what are your initial thoughts for how this series matches up between

00:17Minnesota and Los Angeles? I think it matches up really well, but it just comes down to the

00:22superstars in the series and not even from Minnesota's side of it. What are we getting

00:25out of Luka Doncic, first time around in the playoffs with the Los Angeles Lakers, an aging

00:29veteran in LeBron James, is playing great basketball at this time. And as I always say, the first

00:34rounds, particularly in the NBA, they want to get the spotlight on each game. So they're

00:37not going to put those games together, which means extra days in between, which really favors

00:41the Los Angeles Lakers for me because it favors LeBron James. But I do look at that price point,

00:46just like we look at price points for the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball. There

00:49is a tax. Same thing with the Dodgers. Everybody wants to bet those, not because of their favorite

00:54teams, but the superstar players and the capabilities that they have. Trust me right now, if the

00:58Yankees were a bad team, nobody wants to bet them. If the Lakers are a bad team, nobody wants

01:01to bet them. The same thing with the Dodgers. But all three have superstars and are very talented

01:05teams, and that's what we're getting. Also understand this, the Lakers do hold home court

01:09advantage, but the price point of 186 is a little bit rich for me, plus 156 to win the

01:14series on the opposite side for the Timberwolves. But to be honest, I don't see a short series.

01:18I don't see a gentleman sweep. And if you're taking a look at the Lakers closing out in

01:22Minnesota in game number six, that's interesting. I have a feeling that this game has, excuse

01:26me, this series has the possibility to go seven games. I honestly believe that.

01:30Yeah, DRS, I do as well. It's plus 190 for that to be the case. Only a dime of difference

01:36with six games at plus 180. Again, as we have all learned, best of seven each and every round

01:43around the association's postseason, 2-2-1-1-1. So if it goes LA in six, that's the Lakers winning

01:51away from Los Angeles in the Twin Cities against the Timberwolves. By the way, when you look

01:56at series total games, plus 190 to get to seven, as I try to find the series over under of total

02:03games, it's at five and a half. The over has the hefty juice at minus 196. Donnie, much

02:09like you, I think we're getting to six or seven at bare minimum. I do think the Lakers will

02:15win outright, but I think it is very, very close. I also think that depending on how this

02:21series plays out, we are going to see some drastically shifting odds based on each and

02:27every game's result. It is one of my favorite things about this time in the postseason.

02:31One game, one win, even if expected, can swing a series price so strong that you can find some

02:39value on the other side. These two teams throughout the regular season split their four matchups,

02:45two wins for each side. Donnie, all four games under. The most points we saw in any regular

02:52season matchup between the Lakers and the Timberwolves, 213. Game number one, four points

02:58spread in favor of the Lakers in LA. Total stands at 216 and a half. Yeah, and that's big because

03:04usually you see a series price, Ben, right? Of close to minus 200 and the home team is opening

03:08up, you're probably getting what? Six, maybe seven points spread in that number. That's a pretty

03:12key indication where you have fours across the board at most outlets. Some as high as four and

03:16a half, but that doesn't look like it's a deterrent. And also understand this, game number one, that

03:20219 price point that opened up at the FanDuel Sportsbook is now down to 216 and a half, more of

03:25a defensive battle, which is kind of crazy to figure out. Luka's on one side, LeBron's on side, Ant-Man's

03:29on the other side. Well, you should be able to get some points, but the one thing you have to like

03:32is, you know, with the trade from Anthony Davis, the Lakers have always been in the mix in the market

03:36and hopefully to work it out. And it hasn't really been that case to get one of those

03:39bonafide centers. You do have one with Minnesota, which would be interesting. So getting to the rack

03:44going against Rudy Gobert, not so easy to do with the Timberwolves there. I do think it's going to

03:49be competitive. I think it does go seven. And also if you were just going to take money line in game

03:53one and game two for Minnesota, I think a worst case scenario, you do go one and one there. I think

03:58they should win one game in Los Angeles.

Category

Transcript

Recommended