In the midst of Luka Doncic’s arrival in La-La Land, Rui Hachimura is having one hell of a February for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Even before Doncic donned the purple and gold, the forward has seen his scoring surge this month. Hachimura’s efforts have helped L.A. win three straight games heading into tonight’s homestand with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But while Rui is on a red-hot run, tonight's Timberwolves vs. Lakers predictions could be the perfect time to buck that trend. That’s exactly the plan for my best NBA picks on Thursday, February 27.
Timberwolves vs Lakers prediction
My best bet
Rui Hachimura Under 14.5 points (-105 at bet365)
My analysis
Rui Hachimura is averaging 17.5 points over his last 10 contests, which has toppled his points prop in eight of those outings. This is a notable uptick in production for a player putting up less than 13 points per game in the previous two months.
Despite that scoring surge, however, his totals haven’t ballooned.
Hachimura’s O/Us have mostly bounced between 13.5 and 14.5 points, but we could see this total tick upward tonight, with the Over 14.5 points priced as high as -130 and some shops up to 15.5 O/U.
He’s attempting almost three more shots per game in February and hitting at a solid 53% clip in that span, including 39% shooting from beyond the 3-point arc. Hachimura is making the most of this transition phase for Luka Doncic, enjoying the extra space he creates for teammates.
Tonight’s game with the Minnesota Timberwolves presents a tough defensive test for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Timberwolves are down some starters, but this team is still anchored in the defensive end, with Minnesota rating out among the stingiest teams in the league.
The Timberwolves do a great job patrolling the perimeter, checking opponents to 41% shooting from outside, which has those foes hitting the fourth fewest 3-pointers in the NBA (12.7).
Hachimura’s hot hand from outside has powered his scoring increase this month, but he’s 0-for-3 from distance in two matchups with Minnesota this year, putting up nine and 10 points in those showings.
The Wolves are coming off a gauntlet of high-powered offensive foes, including three matchups with the Oklahoma City Thunder. In that span, Minnesota played some of the faster-paced attacks in the NBA but now draw a much different tempo in L.A., with the Lakers ranked 22nd in pace rating. As for their own tempo, the Timberwolves are a methodical 25th in that same metric.
Tonight’s total of 228 points is on the shorter end compared to Los Angeles’s recent Over/Under numbers, and player projections for Hachimura aren’t exactly falling in line with his recent run.
He’s forecasted for between 13.1 and 15.3 points, with the bulk of those projections coming in shorter than his scoring prop of 14.5 O/U. My number sits at 13.5 points, which should have the Under 14.5 priced at -154 and the Under 15.5 at -200.
Timberwolves vs Lakers same-game parlay
Rui Hachimura Under 14.5 points
Under 228.5
Luka Doncic 10+ rebounds
Hachimura comes back to earth against a tough T-Wolves defense that protects the perimeter.
Given that both teams run slower offensive tempos and the T-Wolves are missing firepower, I’m leaning Under the total tonight.
Luka has been a beast on the boards since finding his spot in this lineup. Doncic has brought in double-digit rebounds in each of his last three games.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Cash your ML bets quicker with bet365's early win payout
Take advantage of the early win payout at bet365, where any pre-game NBA moneyline bet gets paid out as a winner if your team goes up by 20+ points!
Learn more about this feature, and all of bet365's offerings, with our comprehensive bet365 review.
21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Timberwolves vs Lakers odds
Timberwolves vs Lakers live odds
Timberwolves vs Lakers opening odds
- Spread: Minnesota +4.5 (-110) | Los Angeles -4.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Minnesota +150 | Los Angeles -180
- Over/Under: Over 224 (-110) | Under 224 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365
Timberwolves vs Lakers spread and Over/Under analysis
• Bookies opened the Lakers as 4.5-point home favorites, but with LeBron James trending toward playing and the Timberwolves missing several starters, this line climbed to L.A. -6.5 before buyback on the underdog slimmed the spread to Lakers -6.
• The Over/Under total hit the board at 224 points and has surged upwards to 228, with James expected to be in the lineup for Los Angeles.
• According to Covers Consensus, 60% of spread picks are laying the points with the Lakers, and 65% of total picks are siding with the Over.
Timberwolves vs Lakers trend
Minnesota is 21-15 ATS as a road underdog dating back to last season (58%), including 7-4 ATS as a visiting pup this year. Find more NBA betting trends for Timberwolves vs. Lakers.
How to watch Timberwolves vs Lakers
| Location | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date | Thursday, 2-27-2025 |
| Tip-off | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | FanDuel Sports Network North X, Spectrum SportsNet |
Timberwolves vs Lakers latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
