The Los Angeles Lakers (16-14) welcome the Boston Celtics (22-6) to crypto.com Arena on Christmas Day. Tip Monday is set for 5 p.m. ET (ABC). Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s'lines around the Celtics vs. Lakers odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
Season series: First meeting; Celtics won both meetings last season in OT
The Lakers snapped a 4-game losing streak Saturday, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 129-120. Los Angeles covered as 3.5-point road underdogs. It is 13-17 against the spread (ATS) on the season and is just 2-5 ATS over its last 7. The Lakers are 15-15 O/U. They are led by F LeBron James, who is averaging 25.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game.
The Celtics beat the Los Angeles Clippers 145-108 Saturday, easily covering as 4.5-point road favorites. Boston has won 7 of its last 8 and has covered 6 of those. It is just 2-6 ATS in its last 8 road games. The Celtics are 14-13-1 O/U on the season. They are led by F Jayson Tatum, who is averaging 26.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.