The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers will renew their storied rivalry in a key matchup on Thursday night, the first of two meetings this season. Boston is coming off a 117-113 overtime win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, while the Lakers defeated the Washington Wizards 111-88 on Tuesday. The Celtics (31-13), who are first in the Atlantic Division, are 16-5 on the road this season. The Lakers (23-18), who are 4-0 against Atlantic Division foes this season, are 15-6 on their home floor. LeBron James (foot) is listed as probable.
Tip-off from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles is set for 10 p.m. ET. The Celtics are 5-point favorites in the latest Celtics vs. Lakers odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 218.5. Boston is at -196 on the money line (risk $196 to win $100), while L.A. is at +163 (risk $100 to win $163). Before making any Lakers vs. Celtics picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters Week 14 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 136-99 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $3,000. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Celtics vs. Lakers and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Lakers vs. Celtics:
- Celtics vs. Lakers spread: Boston -5
- Celtics vs. Lakers over/under: 218.5 points
- Celtics vs. Lakers money line: Boston -196, Los Angeles +163
- BOS: The Celtics are 2-5 against the spread in their last seven games
- LAL: The Lakers are 2-4 against the spread in their last six games
- Celtics vs. Lakers picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Celtics vs. Lakers streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Celtics can cover
Small forward Jayson Tatum helps power the Boston offensive attack. In 36.3 minutes per game, he is averaging 27.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.3 steals. He has 19 double-doubles and one triple-double this season, including a 43-point, 15-rebound and 10-assist performance in a 123-98 win over the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 21. He scored 38 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 120-119 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Jan. 12.
Shooting guard Jaylen Brown is one of six Celtics averaging double-digit scoring. In 35.5 minutes, he is averaging 23.1 points, six rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.3 steals. He registered a near triple-double in a 119-115 overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. In that game, he scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and added eight assists in 43 minutes. See which team to pick here.
Why the Lakers can cover
Power forward Anthony Davis is one of five Los Angeles players scoring in double digits. Davis is averaging 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.3 steals in 34.9 minutes of action. He is connecting on 52.3% of his field goals and 78.2% of his free throws. He is coming off a 29-point, 16-rebound, five-assist and four-block performance in the win over the Wizards.
Small forward LeBron James is coming off a triple-double with 21 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds against Washington. He scored 25 points and dished out 11 assists with five rebounds in a 116-102 loss to the Clippers on Sunday. He had 29 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in a 102-101 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. In 38 games, all starts, James is averaging 23.7 points, nine assists and 7.5 rebounds in 34.9 minutes. See which team to pick here.
How to make Lakers vs. Celtics picks
The model has simulated Celtics vs. Lakers 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is going Over the total, projecting 224 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time. You can only see the NBA picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Lakers vs. Celtics, and which side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Celtics vs. Lakers spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 136-99 roll on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
