NBA Game Preview: Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers

Dec 7, 2021

Game: Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers  

Time: 10:00 p.m. ET 

Odds: Celtics +2.5, Lakers -2.5 

Total: 219 

The Celtics have started to find their groove. It’s the right time to be doing so as Boston heads to Los Angeles to take on the rival Lakers tonight. The Celtics scored 130 and 145 points in their last two games and they have won three of their last four. Boston beat Portland 145-117 on Saturday night and lost 137-130 to Utah the night before. 

Now, Boston takes on a Lakers team that the Celtics scored 130 on in their last meeting just a couple of weeks ago. Boston wasn’t at full strength either in that game. Jaylen Brown was out, but Jayson Tatum took over scoring 37 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to lead Boston. Marcus Smart added 22 points and Dennis Schroder had 21 in that victory on Nov. 19. 

The Lakers have had their share of issues so far this season. They have won just four of their last ten games. LA isn’t really tearing it up at home either. The Lakers are 8-7 at home and they are only 4-11 ATS playing at the soon-to-be-renamed Staples Center.  

The Lakers are coming off a loss to crosstown rival the Clippers. LA lost 119-115 as a 2.5-point favorite. The loss showed the Lakers disaster of a defense. A year after having one of the NBA’s best defensive units, the Lakers rank 29th in points allowed per game (113.4).  In their last ten games, the Lakers have given up point totals such as 121, 130, and 141. 

Boston is 12th in scoring so far this season averaging 108.9 points per game. In addition to winning three of their last four games, the Celtics have covered the spread in three of their last four. Boston is 6-0 ATS in the last six games against the Lakers and they have beaten LA in eight of the last 12. 

LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Carmelo Anthony are all listed as day-to-day on the Lakers injury report. If any one of three doesn’t play tonight, LA is in trouble. The Lakers are just 2-6 ATS in their last eight games and they have only won five games since Nov. 10. Two of those wins came against Detroit, which has the worst record in the NBA. The other three wins came over teams with losing records (Kings, Pacers, Spurs). 

The total should intrigue bettors tonight. Boston has averaged 137.5 points in its last two games. The Lakers are scoring 114 per game over their last three. LA is fourth in scoring and plays at one of the fastest paces in the NBA. Remember, the Lakers defense has its shortcomings which makes it no surprise that the Over is a trend.  

The Over is 15-9 in Lakers games this season. The total has gone Over in four of the last five Lakers games and in the last five straight Lakers home games. The Over is 10-5 in all Lakers home games this season and it is 4-1 in the last five Celtics-Lakers games played at the Staples Center.