Celtics vs. Lakers Betting Preview for Tuesday: Can Boston Earn Road Win vs. L.A.? (Archive)
NBA Pick: Celtics -3.5 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
The Boston Celtics will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers in a classic rivalry matchup. The Lakers have been so inconsistent this season, while the Celtics have been everything but.
Does this mean the Celtics will get the win? Let’s see what the NBA odds tell us at the top sportsbooks!
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Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Tuesday, December 13, 2022 – 10:00 PM EST at Crypto.com Arena
Two of the best franchises in sports will fight it out tonight in Los Angeles, as the Celtics visit the Lakers.
The Celtics are currently 21-7 on the season and have started the season right where they left off last year. Meanwhile, the Lakers are just 11-15 and fighting for a playoff chance.
Plenty of time left in the regular season to accomplish that, but another loss tonight would set the Lakers back five games away from .500. Will the Lakers have any answers against the Boston Celtics tonight?
Here are our NBA picks and predictions for tonight’s matchup between the Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers.
Can the Lakers Get Stops vs. Boston?
The Boston Celtics are the best offense in the NBA. They’ve scored 120.2 points per 100 possessions and have earned an effective field goal percentage of 58.9%. That’s also the top number in the nation.
The Lakers have allowed 113.9 points per 100 possessions while giving up an effective field goal percentage of 53.7%. Those are average numbers, but the Lakers have yet to be able to earn a high rate of turnovers. Boston has limited turnovers to 13.5% this season, and the Lakers have only forced 12.7% of turnovers. The Celtics won’t turn the ball over, and if shots are falling early, it’ll be a long night for the Lakers.
The Celtics hauled only 21.5% of offensive rebounds this season. The Celtics shoot such a high percentage that offensive rebounds aren’t always needed. But Los Angeles should have more success on the defensive glass, as long as they’re holding the Celtics from getting easy looks.
Los Angeles has also held opponents to a 17.3 free throw rate, the best in the NBA. The Celtics find their way to the foul line in most games, but the Lakers can also limit the damage there. As long as the Celtics miss shots, the Lakers will get stops. But that’s a big if with how the Celtics have played.
Will the Lakers have Success Offensively?
L.A. is only scoring 111.5 points per 100 possessions this season. They’re also shooting an effective field goal percentage of 53.2%. That’s not nearly as good as Boston. But the Lakers will be able to limit turnovers, with Boston only earning 13.3% this season.
Still, like the Celtics, the Lakers will struggle to get offensive rebounds and likely won’t get to the foul line as much, with Boston holding teams to an 18.8 free throw rate. Los Angeles will still see the foul line more often, but they’re not shooting it nearly as well as the Celtics have this season.
The only way for the Lakers to stick around offensively is by staying aggressive and getting to the foul line. They’ll also need to hope their shots start to fall, and that hasn’t always been the case this season. The Lakers had lost three straight before beating the Pistons. But the Pistons are in tank mode, so that win didn’t move the needle for them.
Prediction + Pick
Again, the Celtics will get better looks from the floor. Boston’s been much more consistent offensively, and despite not earning a bunch of second chances, they’ll still shoot at a higher percentage than L.A. in this game. The Lakers have to hope Boston has a poor shooting night. The Lakers don’t shoot at a high rate and have had trouble staying consistent this season.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both day-to-day and questionable. I’d assume both will end up playing. Meanwhile, the Celtics won’t have Robert Williams or Al Horford for tonight’s game. That is never good without your top two big men, but the Celtics should still be able to outshoot the Lakers, get the win, and cover.
So let’s take the Celtics at -3.5 on the road. Until the Lakers show any consistency, it’ll be hard to take them against teams like the Celtics. Boston is a championship contender right now. They’re the best team in the NBA and the best in the East.
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