Know the odds: favorite to advance in Timberwolves vs Lakers 2025 NBA playoffs

The best time of the year has arrived for NBA fans – the 2025 playoffs are officially underway. And one of the marquee matchups in the Western Conference sees the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena to kick off their first-round battle.

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The two teams are no strangers to each other this season. In their four regular-season meetings, they split the series 2–2:

• October 22, 2024: Lakers 110–103
• December 2, 2024: Timberwolves 109–80
• December 13, 2024: Timberwolves 97–87
• February 27, 2025: Lakers 111–102

They even squared off in preseason, setting the tone for what’s been a tightly contested rivalry throughout the year.

Western Conference playoff matchups

• (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs (8) Memphis Grizzlies
• (2) Houston Rockets vs (7) Golden State Warriors
• (3) Los Angeles Lakers vs (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
• (4) Denver Nuggets vs (5) Los Angeles Clippers

Find out more on these clashes.

Who is the favorite to advance in the Timberwolves-Lakers series?

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Lakers open the series as clear favorites:

• Moneyline: Lakers -195 | Timberwolves +160
• Game 1 spread: Lakers -4.5
• Over/Under: 215.5 total points

Over at FanDuel Sportsbook, the most popular bet is for the Lakers to win the series in five games (+390) – suggesting bettors see L.A. taking control early, especially with home-court advantage.

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