Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers Preview
At 7:30 ET tonight, the Lakers (+440) will be in Boston to take on the Celtics (-608) in a non-conference matchup. The Lakers are 24-25 and 9th in the Western Conference, while the Celtics are 37-11 and 1st in the East. The over/under line for the game is 240.5 points.
This game will be played at TD Garden in Boston and can be seen on TNT. The Celtics are favored by 11 points and have won two straight, while the Lakers have lost their last two games.
Check out BetCoco for Boston Celtics – Los Angeles Lakers odds
Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers Head-to-Head and Key Stats
Across the previous three matchups between Los Angeles and Boston, the Celtics have played well, sitting at 3-0. However, the average point differential between the two teams has been been close, with Boston averaging 124 points and Los Angeles at 118.
- Across their three previous road games, Los Angeles has an ATS mark of 1-2. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-2 while averaging 128 points per game.
- In their last three home games, Boston has averaged 126 points per game while allowing 109. The team’s record in this stretch was 3-0 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
- In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Lakers have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 1-2.
- Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Celtics have a straight up record of 8-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 5-5.
Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers Prediction
The Lakers have lost two straight games and are currently 9th in the Western Conference with a record of 24-25. In the Pacific Division, they are 4th.
On the road, the Lakers are 7-17 for the season and are 9-15 against the spread. Their straight-up road scoring margin is -7.9 points per game.
As the underdog, the Lakers are 6-15 straight up and 9-12 vs. the spread. Today, they are getting 11 points against the Celtics.
In their last game, the Lakers lost to the Hawks by a score of 138-122. The O/U line for that game was 248 points. The Lakers were 6-point underdogs going into the game.
This season, the Lakers have an O/U record of 28-21, and their games have averaged 233.8 points per game. Today’s O/U line is set at 240.5, and the Lakers have gone over the total in their last seven games.
In non-conference games, the Lakers are 6-9 compared to 18-16 against Western Conference opponents. In their last game, they were 2-3 as the underdog vs. the spread.
Heading into tonight’s game, the Lakers are 14th in the NBA in scoring at 116.2 points per game. On the road, they are averaging 115.6 points per game.
So far this season, the Lakers have outscored the league average in 44.9% of their games. They are 7th in free throw attempts and 8th in free throw makes.
One area where the Lakers have struggled is three-point shooting. They are 30th in the NBA in three-point attempts and 28th in three-point makes. Overall, the Lakers are shooting 36% from three-point range.
At present, the Lakers’ defense is ranked 20th, allowing 117.6 points per game. For the season, Los Angeles is ranked 30th in fewest fouls per game. Team’s are averaging 19.7 free-throws per game vs. the Lakers and have an overall field goal percentage of 47.5%.
Today, the Celtics are favored by 11 points at home against the Lakers. This season, Boston has been favored in 45 of their 48 games and has a 35-10 record as the favorite. In their last three games, the Celtics are 0-3 against the spread as the favorite.
Boston’s ATS record for the season is 22-24, and they have gone 12-11 ATS at home. The Celtics have won straight games at home and are 22-2 overall at home this season.
In their most recent game, the Celtics beat the Pacers by a score of 129-124. The O/U line for the game was 248.5, and Boston was favored by 8 points. The win improved their record to 37-11, which is the best in the Eastern Conference.
This season, the Celtics have an O/U record of 24-24, and their games have averaged 231.4 points per game. Today’s O/U line of 240.5 is higher than the average line in their games (231.3).
So far this season, the Celtics have been one of the NBA’s most potent offenses, ranking 5th in scoring at 120.4 points per game. At home, they have been even better, averaging 121.8 points per game.
One of the keys to Boston’s offensive success has been their ability to get up a high volume of three-point attempts. In fact, they lead the NBA in both three-point makes and attempts at 42.6 per game.
Overall, the Celtics have been an efficient shooting team, ranking 13th in field goal percentage. However, they have been particularly strong inside the arc, connecting on 56% of their two-point attempts (5th).
Coming into the game, the Celtics defense has held opposing team’s to fewer points than the league average in 29.2% of their games. Currently, they are 6th in the NBA at 111.0 points per game allowed. In terms of two point field goal attempts, the Celtics defense has allowed a shooting percentage of 52.4% while allowing 34.4% from downtown.
With the Celtics being favored by 11, our NFL analytics models has this one playing out 116-112 in favor of the Celtics.
Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers Betting Tips
- Take the Celtics on the moneyline
- On the spread, we like Lakers (+11)
- Our NBA model projects 228 points, and we suggest taking the under
Boston Celtics Injury Report
- Luke Kornet – Hamstring – Questionable
Los Angeles Lakers Injury Report
- Anthony Davis – Achilles/Hip – Questionable
- LeBron James – Ankle – Questionable
- Gabe Vincent – Knee – Out
- Cam Reddish – Ankle – Out
