It’s a new chapter to the NBA’s greatest rivalry: the Boston Celtics face the Los Angeles Lakers for their 371st meeting. Boston already has a win over the Lakers this season as it looks to sweep the regular season series for the first time since 2016-17. The NBA odds favor Boston to do it although the Lakers could be at full strength.
Let’s check the latest NBA news, stats, injury report and NBA lines for Lakers vs Celtics. We’ve got plenty of NBA picks for you to consider.
Lakers Close to Full Roster
The Lakers have struggled to stay healthy and win. But this evening, the team finally has Anthony Davis (foot) and LeBron James (ankle) on the court. The Lakers’ only notable absence will be Austin Reaves (hamstring). They’ll gladly take it as Boston misses top defender Marcus Smart (ankle).
Davis returned on Wednesday as the Lakers handled business against the Spurs. The team also acquired Rui Hachimura from the Wizards to add more size and scoring off the bench. With Davis and Hachimura, the Lakers should be improved on both ends of the court. But that’s especially true on defense.
The Lakers are six points better on defense when “AD” is on the floor. And in Hachimura’s brief appearance with the team, the Lakers held the Spurs to an 83.3 offensive rating. The team will look to him to help slow down the Celtics’ star forwards. The team’s fate on the online sports betting lines hinges on how well he can handle the job.
Celtics Must Return To Form
Boston is reeling following three straight losses. On the spread, the Celtics have also lost five straight. But it’s not due to any drop off in Jayson Tatum’s performance. The Celtics’ MVP contender is still lighting up opponents to the tune of 31.1 points on 46.8 percent shooting.
However, Boston’s offense has tanked in this losing skid. The Celtics’ offense dropped to 105.7, which is the third-worst in this five-game stretch. The team’s defense is still efficient hence why Boston has not gone winless and why the total went under in four of these games.
Boston averages 117.6 points per game. The team is 24-1 when it scores more than that but just 11-14 when it doesn’t. Despite this team’s identity as a potent two-way force, Boston is more reliant on its offense. If it can get going again, the Celtics should be bet online.
Lakers vs Celtics Game Injuries
Lakers vs Celtics Head-to-Head
The Lakers and Celtics have split their last 10 meetings with five wins apiece. However, the Lakers are just 3-6-1 against the spread (ATS) in these games. The total has gone over in eight of these matchups.
Lakers vs Celtics Game Information
- Game: Lakers (23-26) vs Celtics (35-15)
- Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
- Day/Time: Saturday, January 28, 8:40 p.m. ET
- Lakers vs Celtics Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Lakers vs Celtics Betting Lines
Lakers vs Celtics Picks & Prediction
The NBA odds are too wide on Boston here. While the Celtics are better overall, the Lakers have more momentum and are in better form. Davis and Hachimura will make an impact here while the Celtics struggle to get going on offense. At the current lines, bet on the Lakers’ spread or for them to win straight-up.
The Los Angeles Lakers are listed at +282 in our Vegas NBA lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Lakers, you have a chance to win $282. The Boston Celtics are -355, offering a chance to win $28 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Lakers a 26.18% chance to win, with the Celtics at 78.02%
Lakers vs Celtics Trends
Lakers vs Celtics Edge
Lakers vs Celtics Results
Lakers vs Celtics Game Summary
Celtics vs Lakers Previous Game (Dec. 13 2022)
The historic rivalry between the Boston Celtics (21-6) and the Los Angeles Lakers (11-15) is etched in the DNA of the NBA. No matter what is happening with the teams, this matchup is always an elite game.
It will be the third straight game for the Celtics in California as they close their six-game road trip with the Lakers. They lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 113-93 on Monday, scoring under 100 points for the first time.
The Lakers haven’t been able to find consistent play, needing an incredible game from LeBron James and Anthony Davis to beat the Detroit Pistons 124-117 on Sunday, snapping a three-game losing streak.
