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With the 2022-23 NBA regular season now in the books, the basketball betting market is hotter than ever. CBS Sports will be providing daily picks for the duration of the postseason. Sam Quinn will make at least one pick for every game between now and the NBA Finals. All lines courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
Featured Game | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
This line has already seen a bit of movement, opening at Lakers -6.5, but that influx of Lakers money is warranted. Let’s take a look at who these teams have been since the Lakers’ deadline acquisitions debuted on Feb. 11:
The Lakers are 18-8, giving them the third-best record in the NBA in that time. The Wolves went 12-11.The Lakers outscored their opponents by 127 points in those games. The Timberwolves were outscored by 25 points in that time.The Lakers ranked higher in offensive rating, defensive rating and clutch net rating in that window.
You might point out that the Timberwolves were missing Karl-Anthony Towns for much of that time, but the Lakers were without LeBron James as well. These are simply two teams that were already moving in different directions even before Sunday. And then Rudy Gobert got suspended and Jaden McDaniels broke his hand.
The severity of those absences cannot be overstated. McDaniels would have guarded James in this matchup and Gobert would have guarded Anthony Davis. Gobert’s primary backup, Naz Reid, is out with an injury….
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