The Boston Celtics rolled to an easy win and cover over the Los Angeles Lakers earlier in the month, and they'll try to do it again when the teams play at Staples Center on Wednesday.
Boston beat Los Angeles 116-95 as a 1.5-point home favorite on the NBA betting lines at the sportsbooks on February 7, improving the Celtics to 4-6 SU and 6-4 ATS over their last 10 games against the Lakers. The OVER/UNDER went 3-7 in those 10 contests.
Will the emotion of owner Jerry Buss's death Monday play havoc with the game and with handicappers?
The Lakers sport records of 25-29 and 21-33 ATS heading into this matchup, while the Celtics sit at 28-25 and 23-27-3 ATS on the season. The OVER/UNDER records are 27-26-1 for the Lakers and 25-27-1 for the Celtics. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news).
View Boston vs LA Lakers Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
The visitors opened this morning as 7.5-point underdogs in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark (including Sportsbook), while the total was hovering around 198 at Sportsbook and other shops.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new Power Rankings at Odds Shark, it's the No. 12-rated Lakers and the No. 17-rated Celtics in this matchup. Predictive computer formulas point to a 99-98 win for the Lakers on Wednesday.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Los Angeles's No. 6-ranked offense (101.6 PPG) against a Celtics defense that ranks No. 9 at 95.8 PPG. The Lakers have averaged 45.7% from the field per game, almost the same as the Celtics have managed so far this season (45.7% on average).
In comparing how the teams stack up statistically, the Celtics own the league's No. 14-rated mark, allowing 99.3 points per game when playing on the road. Los Angeles, on the other hand, rates No. 10 in scoring on their home court.
The Celtics were a 97-90 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Nuggets. They covered the 9-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (187) made winners of UNDER bettors. The Celtics endured a 97-90 loss at the hands of the Nuggets on Tuesday, despite a 20-point effort from Jeff Green at Pepsi Center.
Last time out for Los Angeles, they were a 125-101 loser as they battled the Clippers at home. The Lakers failed to cover in the match as a 3.5-point underdog, while 226 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors. Los Angeles was crushed on Thursday, getting run out of the gym by Los Angeles and falling 125-101 at STAPLES Center.
Boston Celtics Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 4-6
Before playing Phoenix are 6-4
After playing Denver are 7-3
After a loss are 3-7
Los Angeles Lakers Trends:
When playing on Wednesday are 6-4
Before playing Portland are 6-4
After playing LA Clippers are 6-4
After a loss are 5-5
A few Celtics at Lakers trends to consider:
Boston is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Boston's last 10 games when playing LA Lakers
Boston is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
Boston is 5-11-1 ATS in its last 17 games on the road
LA Lakers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of the LA Lakers last 8 games at home
LA Lakers are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of the LA Lakers last 10 games when playing Boston
Next up:
Boston at Phoenix, Friday, February 22
LA Lakers home to Portland, Friday, February 22
