Timberwolves vs. Lakers Best NBA Prop Bets Today for NBA Opening Night (Back LeBron, Julius Randle)

Breaking down the best prop bets for the Los Angeles Lakers-Minnesota Timberwolves matchup on NBA Opening Night.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers open the 2024-25 season at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a matchup between two teams that have made a Western Conference Finals appearance in the last two seasons.

Los Angeles lost to the Denver Nuggets in the 2022-23 season’s Western Conference Finals (Denver also knocked the Lakers out of the playoffs last season) while the Wolves fell to the Dallas Mavericks in last season’s WCF. 

Now, Minnesota is looking to kick off a new era – one that won’t have Karl-Anthony Towns – on Tuesday night.

Towns is out, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo are in, and both former New York Knicks are worth a play in the prop market in the Wolves’ season opener.

Plus, James, who will turn 40 during the 2024-25 season, is looking to repeat the success of last season where he played in over 70 games and shot a career-high from 3. How is he still playing at such a high level at his age?

With plenty of stars in play for tonight’s contest, here’s how to bet on the Lakers and Timberwolves in the prop market. 

Best NBA Prop Bets for Timberwolves vs. Lakers

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

  • LeBron James OVER 1.5 3-Pointers Made (-120)
  • Julius Randle OVER 7.5 Rebounds (-120)
  • Donte DiVincenzo OVER 11.5 Points (-120)
  • Anthony Davis OVER 1.5 Blocks (-160)

LeBron James OVER 1.5 3-Pointers Made (-120)

James has averaged at least 2.0 made 3s per game in each of his last six seasons, and now he’s coming off arguably the best shooting season of his storied career.

The Lakers star shot 41.0 percent from 3 last season, averaging 25.7 points per game in the process. He only attempted 5.1 3s per game – his lowest since the 2017-18 season – but I don’t see that number dipping with new head coach J.J. Redick in the fold.

Redick has shown some impressive offensive sets for the Lakers in the preseason, and I expect him to put James in position to be successful as a scorer – especially on opening night. 

Minnesota did have the No. 1 defense in the NBA last season, but this line is a little low for James since he’s going to get up his fair share of shots from 3. 

Julius Randle OVER 7.5 Rebounds (-120)

There are some questions about Julius Randle’s role and playing time in the Wolves’ season opener, especially since he played sparingly in the preseason after recovering from a shoulder injury that needed surgery during the 2023-24 campaign. 

However, Randle is in a contract year, and he’s averaged at least 8.0 rebounds per game in every season of his career (besides his rookie year where he was hurt in the season opener and missed the rest of the season). 

During his time in New York, Randle averaged 9.9 rebounds per game. He should contend for double-digit boards if Chris Finch is willing to play him somewhat normal minutes on opening night. 

Donte DiVincenzo OVER 11.5 Points (-120)

I’m high on Donte DiVincenzo – a player I bet to win Sixth Man of the Year – especially after he showed a ton of confidence in the preseason on his new team.

DiVincenzo is coming off a career year in New York where he shot 40.1 percent from 3 and averaged 15.5 points per game. His 3-pointers line in this matchup is set at 2.5 – a sign that he’s going to get plenty of looks from deep on Tuesday. 

Asking DiVincenzo, who should play close to starters minutes off the bench in Minnesota, to score 12 points isn’t much after what he did last season. 

Anthony Davis OVER 1.5 Blocks (-160)

Well, we better get an Anthony Davis 1.5 blocks line while we still can.

The Lakers star was a serious candidate for the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award in the 2023-24 season, blocking 2.3 shots per game – the 10th time in 12 seasons that he’s averaged at least 2.0 blocks per game.

So, that’s all we’re asking for AD to do that on opening night. In four regular season games against the Wolves last season, Davis cleared this prop on three occasions, blocking at least three shots in two of those games.


Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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


Published
Peter Dewey
PETER DEWEY

Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting. He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.