Lakers vs Celtics Preview & Pick with Boston as a huge favorite on the NBA odds

One of the great rivalries in professional sports is renewed on Thursday night in the NBA as the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Boston Celtics with LA looking to avoid the season sweep, but Boston is a huge favorite on the NBA odds – the biggest in this series in seven years. 2024 NBA Expert Analysis Los Angeles Lakers vs Boston | MyBookie Sportsbook NBA Week 15

How to Bet Lakers at Celtics NBA Odds & TV Info

When: Thursday, 7:30 PM ET
Where: TD Garden
TV: TNT
Stream: TNT app
Radio: Tunein.com
NBA Odds: Celtics -10.5 (total 240)

First Meeting

On Christmas, the Celtics beat the Lakers in Los Angeles, 126-115. Led by Kristaps Porzingis with 28 points and 11 rebounds, all five starters had at least 18 points for the Celtics. Anthony Davis scored a game-high 40 points with 13 rebounds, and LeBron James had 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the loss. Both teams made 13 three-pointers. It was the third game on Christmas Day between the two most storied franchises in the league. The Minneapolis Lakers won in Boston in 1951, and Los Angeles was victorious in 2008.

Why Bet on Los Angeles Lakers?

The Lakers have looked bad in both games this week, losing 135-119 in Houston on Monday and then playing without Anthony Davis on Tuesday and losing 138-122 as the pressure mounts on Coach Darvin Ham. Davis is questionable for Thursday but probably plays. If not, Jaxson Hayes likely starts again. He made his second start of the season against Atlanta and had six points, six rebounds, one assist, one block and four steals over 24 minutes.

To Lakers fans’ surprise, Ham bypassed Christian Wood, who signed with the Lakers in September and has served as the team’s backup center, in favor of Hayes. Wood hopped on Twitter soon after the news became public and just before the game got going, voicing his frustration with Ham’s decision with a simple post reading “lol.” Wood ended up getting the last laugh, as he dropped nine points and eight rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench. Maybe he starts this one after all. Ham said he wanted to keep Wood in his typical role and added that lineups aren’t a “popularity contest” and are about what’s best for the team.”

LeBron James had 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in Atlanta as he has now scored at least 20 points for the eighth straight game, averaging 25.8 points, 8.8 boards and 8.3 assists over that stretch while shooting 51.6 percent from the floor and 43.9 percent from beyond the arc. The loss dropped LA to 24-25. Defense has been a major issue for L.A. in recent games, as the Lakers surrendered at least 135 points in each of the past four contests. They rank a pedestrian 20th defensively with 117.6 points allowed per game.

“We could, on any given night, beat any team in the NBA. And then, on any given night, we could get our ass kicked by any team in the NBA,” LeBron said. “I don’t have any message for my teammates. Just go out and do your job.”

In reserve forward Jarred Vanderbilt’s mind, the Lakers’ issue is that they are not starting games with a locked in defensive mindset, perhaps a signal to the coaching staff that he feels he should return to that starting lineup: “We just got to lock in on both ends for 48 minutes. I think we should be a defensive-minded team to start the game.”

Austin Reaves, who has been mentioned in trade rumors, had a season-high 28 points along with six assists on Tuesday. Reaves moved into the starting lineup at the beginning of January, but his usage and production haven’t changed much, and the third-year guard averaged 15.5 points and 5.9 assists through 15 games in the month while shooting 50.6 percent from the floor. LA will remain without injured forward Cam Reddish on Thursday due to a right ankle sprain.

Including their time in Minneapolis, the Lakers and Celtics have met 299 times in all, with L.A. trailing in the series 166-133. The Lakers have lost just four season series to the Celtics since the 1999-2000 season. The Lakers are 3-9 in NBA Finals series against Boston, with the Celtics taking the first eight before Los Angeles won three of the last four (1985, 1987 and 2010).

Why Bet on Boston Celtics?

The Celtics have won two straight and edged visiting Indiana 129-124 on Tuesday. The Celtics led by 20 points late in the first half, but Indiana rallied and trailed 127-124 when Derrick White blocked a tying 3-point attempt by Aaron Nesmith. Jayson Tatum then denied an attempt by Myles Turner at the rim with 29.3 seconds left, leading to a shot-clock violation. Jrue Holiday extended Boston’s lead with two free throws and that was that. Holiday said the Celtics got a reminder that they’ll have to find different ways to close out opponents.

“We’ve got to be able to fight through everything,” he said. “Fight through expectations. Fight through being up 20 and somebody having a great third quarter and finishing games. If it was easy the whole time, what’s the fun in that?”

The Celtics logged their fourth-highest scoring first half in franchise history with 81 points vs. Indiana while connecting on 30-of-46 field goals (65.2 FG%), 12-of-20 three-pointers (60.0 3FG%), and 9-of-10 free throws (90.0). The team’s all-time record for most points scored in a single half is 91 points, which was accomplished twice, and both came in the second half of a game on Feb. 10, 1960, and Nov. 11, 1959.

Since 1946-1947, only three other teams in NBA history have recorded at least 80 points in the first half while shooting greater than 65.0 percent from the field and 60.0 percent from deep, joining the Indiana Pacers (5/1/2021), New Orleans Pelicans (11/14/2014), and Los Angeles Lakers (1/2/1987).

Jayson Tatum led that charge with 23 first-half points on 10-of-12 made field goals, marking the fourth time in his career he knocked down at least 10 field goals in a first half. The All-Star would lead the C’s with 28 points along with 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals. It was his third career game with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three steals, which is tied with Kevin Garnett for the fifth-most such games in Celtics history.

Derrick White scored 13 of his 17 total points in the fourth quarter when he shot 5-of-6 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point territory and also had a key block with 31.6 seconds left. White ranks second on the team in total clutch points this season (48), behind only Tatum (54), and ranks 13th in the Eastern Conference. Among NBA guards, White owns the most blocks in clutch time this season (5) and the most games with three-plus blocks (6).

The Celtics rank first in the NBA in net rating (9.5), total three-pointers made (777), rebounds per game (47.2), and blocks per game (6.5), and rank fifth in points per game (120.4) and three-point percentage (38.0).

Al Horford didn’t play on Tuesday but that was simply due to it being in the second half of a back-to-back and he’ll be out there Thursday. Among all centers, Horford ranks 9th in made three-pointers (64) and is the only one with 100+ assists and less than 35 turnovers this season.

Lakers vs Celtics Expert Prediction

Celtics 123, Lakers 113

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