Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics odds, picks and predictions

Seth Orlemann | Staff Writer

The Los Angeles Lakers (24-25) visit the Boston Celtics (37-11) on Thursday with tip-off from TD Garden scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Lakers vs. Celtics odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.

Season series: Celtics lead 1-0 with 126-115 on Dec. 25 in LA

The Lakers have lost back-to-back games after falling 138-122 on the road against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday and failing to cover as 6-point underdogs. G Austin Reaves scored a game-high 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting while F LeBron James was the only other starter to score in double figures (20 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists). Los Angeles shot 53.3% from the field in the loss.

Boston has won back-to-back games after taking down the Indiana Pacers 129-124 on Tuesday while failing to cover as an 8-point home favorite. F Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 30 points on 4-of-9 from 3 while all 5 Boston starters scored in double-digits. C Kristaps Porzingis had a double-double (17 points, 12 rebounds) while the team shot 54% from the field.

Lakers at Celtics odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access Paste BN Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:26 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Lakers +475 (bet $100 to win $475) | Celtics -650 (bet $650 to win $100)
Against the spread (ATS): Lakers +11.5 (-115) | Celtics -11.5 (-105)
Over/Under (O/U): 240.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)

Lakers at Celtics key injuries

Lakers

F Anthony Davis (foot, hip) questionable
F LeBron James (ankle) questionable
F Cam Reddish (ankle) out
G Gab Vincent (knee) out

Celtics

C Luke Kornet (hamstring) questionable

For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.

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Lakers at Celtics picks and predictions

Prediction

Celtics 131, Lakers 116

Moneyline

PASS.

There is no value on the Celtics (-650), who are 22-2 at home, to beat a Lakers team that is 7-17 on the road.

Against the spread

LEAN CELTICS -11.5 (-105).

The Celtics have a 23-23-2 ATS while the Lakers have a 21-28 ATS record. The Lakers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games and 3-6 ATS in their last 9 games as underdogs. Boston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games playing as a double-digit favorite and is at full strength. Against a Lakers team that is dealing with nagging injuries, expect the Celtics to dominate on Thursday night.

Over/Under

BET OVER 240.5 (-115).

The Over has hit in 8 of the last 10 meetings between these squads dating back to 2019 including each of the last 3 since 2022. The Lakers have hit the Over in 8 of their last 10 games including 7 in a row. They have also hit the Over in 15 of their last 16 road games. They have scored at least 116 in 9 of their last 10 games while Boston has scored at least 116 in 7 of its last 10.

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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