Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics Prediction, NBA Odds
The NBA’s most storied rivalry renews Friday at TD Garden as the 16-5 Los Angeles Lakers visit the 13-9 Boston Celtics, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. ET on Prime Video. This is the first of two meetings this season, with the rematch scheduled for Feb. 22 in Los Angeles.
Both sides enter this matchup on the second half of a road back-to-back. Boston played without Jaylen Brown due to illness but still dispatched the lowly Wizards in a throttling 146-101 fashion on Thursday, while the Lakers picked up a big win as slight underdogs in Toronto, short-handed without Luka Doncic and Marcus Smart. And while Smart is expected back, it’s been reported that Doncic will remain out for personal reasons.
The Celtics are 8.5-point favourites to win on the NBA odds, with the total set at 226.5.
Lakers vs. Celtics NBA Betting Odds
The Lakers come into this contest boasting a 9-2 road record, are 14-7 against the spread overall, and continue to lean heavily toward Overs (15-6). The Celtics enter with a 7-4 mark at home and 12-10 ATS overall, with the Under cashing in 12 of their 22 games.
Both teams have managed back-to-backs well: Los Angeles is 2-2 SU and ATS with a 3-1 Over record, while Boston is 3-1 SU and ATS but 1-3 to the Under in the same situation.
Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles arrives hot, owning 10 wins in its last 12 thanks to a dominant late November run. Offensively, the Lakers continue to thrive at the free-throw line, ranking No. 1 in free-throw attempt rate, which could prove an essential advantage against a Celtics defence that sends opponents to the stripe more than any team in basketball.
Turnovers remain their biggest flaw, as L.A. ranks last in ball security and often gifts opponents extra possessions. Even without Doncic, the Lakers will lean on isolation scoring, with LeBron James and Austin Reaves, and strong defensive rebounding from the whole cast, an area where they rank eighth league-wide.
Boston Celtics
Boston has steadied after a 5-7 start, entering on a three-game winning streak and having won eight of its last 10. The Celtics continue to fire away from deep, ranking sixth in makes and third in attempts, though their 35.5 per cent accuracy sits only middle of the pack. Boston’s identity this season tilts heavily toward offence (fourth in rating), while the defence remains inconsistent at 19th.
Their biggest defensive vulnerability is on the glass, where they rank dead last in defensive rebounding. However, Boston compensates by forcing turnovers at a top-10 rate, a major leverage point against an L.A. team that struggles to take care of the ball. With Brown expected back and Derrick White anchoring the perimeter defence, the Celtics remain difficult to handle on their home floor.
NBA Prediction: Who Will Win Lakers vs. Celtics?
Both clubs share stylistic similarities: slow pace, isolation-heavy offence, high turnover creation, yet their weaknesses line up in ways that should produce a more offence-friendly script. The Lakers’ ability to get to the line is hurt somewhat by Doncic’s absence, but Reaves and Co. can still get there enough.
Combine that free-throw tendency with Boston’s three-point volume, and the likelihood of L.A. coughing up turnovers, and this game could create a faster scoreboard than the pace suggests.
Best Bet: With both sides holding clear scoring paths, Over 224.5 (-115) projects as the strongest play.
Prediction: Despite missing the league’s leading scorer, we like the Lakers to get it done on the road 120-116, thanks to big nights from Reaves and DeAndre Ayton.
LAL
BOS