The Boston Celtics will be playing their second game on back-to-back nights when they visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.
Boston also found itself in LA on Wednesday, when they outlasted the Los Angeles Clippers 117-113 in overtime at the Intuit Dome while improving to 31-13. The Lakers are 23-18 following Tuesday’s home victory over the Washington Wizards.
With Celtics vs. Lakers starting at 10:00 PM ET/7 PM PT on TNT, let’s take a look at the odds and best bets to make.
There is no doubt that the Celtics are the far better team in general, but there are too many variables in play to feel good about covering a five-point spread on Thursday. Boston is 1-2 straight up in its last three games after losing at home to the Atlanta Hawks with a similar spread this past Saturday.
The fact Jrue Holiday (shoulder), Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Al Horford (toe) missed Wednesday’s contest and are listed as day-to-day further hurts Boston's chances.
The Lakers are playing well enough to take advantage of a fatigued and potentially undermanned opponent. They are 3-1 straight up in their last four overall and are also well rested, having played only five games since January 7 – all five were at Crypto.com Arena.
LA stars LeBron James (foot) and Anthony Davis (calf) are probable, so Los Angeles should be at full strength.
To say that James is not slowing down at 40 years old would be an understatement. He posted a triple-double against the Wizards and you know he is going to get up even more for a showdown against the Celtics.
Look for L.A. to cover; it might even win outright.
Los Angeles has been playing relatively low-scoring affairs for the most part of late. The losing team has scored more than 102 points just once in its last six games, and in the same stretch, the winning side has exceeded 118 only once.
The Lakers just held Washington to an anemic 88 points on Tuesday, limiting the visitors to 35.8 percent shooting from the floor. Boston has given up 94 points or fewer in two of its last four, including a mere 85 to the Golden State Warriors on Monday.
You can expect a dull tempo to tonight’s contest, as well. In pace of play (possessions per game), Boston ranks 21st in the NBA and Los Angeles comes in at 24th. These teams are just fine slowing it down, and the Celtics will be even more inclined to implement that tactic since they are undoubtedly playing on tired legs.
All things considered, the Under looks like the best bet to make.
Davis went wild against the Celtics in his only meeting against them last season, going for 40 points. Asking him to score at least 25 on Thursday should not be too much.
AD is averaging 27.5 ppg at home so far during the 2024/25 campaign and has exceeded this number in two of his last three games at Crypto.com Arena.
This is a favorable matchup for Davis. Boston does not have a ton of depth on the interior, even when it has a full roster at its disposal. Porzingis has length, but – if he even plays – Davis should be able to push him around down low. Neither Horford nor Luke Kornet has any real chance of containing Davis in the paint.
It’s also worth noting that the Celtics are No. 19 league-wide in second-chance points per game allowed over the past 10 games, an area in which Davis thrives.
Read more betting picks and predictions for the NBA on site.
Boston Celtics | -200 ML |
Los Angeles Lakers | +165 ML |
Spread | Celtics -5.0 |
Total Points | O/U 218.5 |
Jayson Tatum (BOS Celtics) | O/U 25.5 |
Jaylen Brown (BOS Celtics) | O/U 22.5 |
Kristaps Porzingis (BOS Celtics) | O/U 16.5 |
Anthony Davis (LA Lakers) | O/U 24.5 |
LeBron James (LA Lakers) | O/U 22.5 |
Austin Reaves (LA Lakers) | O/U 17.5 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.