The LA Lakers descend on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Saturday for an intraconference clash that presents intriguingly in the betting. The market leaves no room for error, as bookmakers have gone to press with the Lakers laying merely -1.5 to -2.5, depending on the choice of online sportsbook. Thus, with the market cast so tight, it clearly suggests that this game is up for grabs, raising questions about where the value bet is to be had.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics
Saturday, January 30, 2021 – 8:30 PM ET at TD Garden
It’s going to be a sixth road game for the LA Lakers when they take on the Boston Celtics, marking a brutal road stretch that is challenging for any team, even the mighty defending NBA champions who finally succumbed to their first back-to-back road setbacks of the season against Philadelphia and Detroit. This is the first time that the Lakers have lost two on the trot, marking a perceptible dip in form by their lofty standards that could have played a hand in the rather understated NBA betting lines rolled out for this clash with the Lakers marginally favored over Boston.
The Boston Celtics lost narrowly on Wednesday to San Antonio on the road, a result that represents their fourth loss in the last six games. On the bright side, Wednesday’s game featured Boston’s preferred starting lineup for the first time this season. To be fair, it’s been a trying start to their campaign, with injuries across the board proving to be challenging to overcome. That return to full strength might have something to do with the rather favorable outlook, as betting sites expect Boston to put its best foot forward and give the Lakers a run for their money.
LA Lakers Brutal Road Schedule
Up to this point, the Lakers lost no more than one game in a row, bouncing back from losses immediately on four previous occasions. However, a brutal road schedule has seemingly caught up to them to hand them their first back-to-back losses of the season. The Lakers lost 107-106 to Philadelphia on Wednesday and 107-92 to Detroit on Thursday.
Losing in Detroit was a bit of a shocker. The Lakers closed as the heavy 7-point faves on the NBA odds board over the Pistons (5-14), only to suffer the ignominy of an upset by a bottom dweller when all was said and done. It was a disappointing account that the Lakers should have capitalized on, but instead, they wilted away collectively.
LeBron James finished with 22 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. It would be his second triple-double this season, but his solid stats don’t tell the full story. James got off to a hot start. He hit his first seven shots, scoring 20 points in the first 20 minutes of the game before wilting away. In the game’s remaining 40 minutes, James contributed merely 2 points with a 1-of-12 shooting mark the rest of the way.
The Lakers were without Anthony Davis (quad), who is questionable for Saturday’s date with Boston. As well, the Kostas Antetokounmpo and Jared Dudley are out indefinitely for the Lakers.
On the heels of the latest setbacks, the Lakers slipped to second place in the Pacific Division with a 14-6 mark on the season, a half-game behind their biggest divisional threat according to the NBA futures, the LA Clippers. The Lakers are 10-2 SU on the road this season and 3-2 SU in their last five games on the road. They’re nearing the end of a seven-game road stretch, with Monday’s clash against the Atlanta Hawks representing the last stop of the schedule.
The Lakers are 10-10-0 ATS on the season with an 8.1 winning margin on average. The total has gone UNDER in 14 of LA Lakers’ 20 contests.
Boston Celtics Finally Healthy
The Boston Celtics finally fielded their projected starting five in Wednesday’s clash with the San Antonio Spurs. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, and Daniel Theis all took to the court together for the first time this season in the losing outing, but in the narrow 110-106 defeat, there were plenty of positive to hang one’s hat on going forward.
Despite all the injury woes, covid-19 related setbacks, the Celtics have somehow remained competitive. It’s quite an achievement, to be fair. Given all the disruption and challenges that they’ve faced, they could be in a much worse position than they’re in right now. In fact, some might argue that the Celtics have defied the odds to emerge above .500 at this stage of the season.
Full strength
pic.twitter.com/Mg2bmn9Juf
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 28, 2021
In the first quarter against the Spurs, the Celtics looked really good on the offensive side of the ball. However, they couldn’t keep up the momentum consistently through all four quarters. At the same time, the defense was suspect, and all too often it hung them out to dry. The game's broadcaster best described it as “three separate games” with the momentum shifting back-and-forth between the Celtics and Spurs.
Jayson Tatum led the team with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists, while Jaylen Brown added 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker both contributed 14 points apiece, while Daniel Theis had 5 points. One has to consider that these starters aren’t all 100% on form right now, but with more games under their belts, they’re likely to improve.
As things currently stand, the Celtics are 10-7 SU and sat in third place in the Atlantic Division. At home, the Celtics are a solid 5-2 SU, winning four of their last five home contests, including a 141-103 evisceration of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Celtics are 8-9-0 ATS on the season with a 2.6 winning margin on average. The NBA total has gone OVER in 9 of Boston’s 17 contests.
NBA Betting Predictions
By any standard, the LA Lakers are a big ask. Not only are they the defending champions, but they’re also favored to repeat as champions this season. A campaign that is off to a positive start in that regard, with the Lakers riding high and sporting the league’s second-best defense (104.8 points per game) to complement its star-studded offense. And yet, the oddsmakers have rolled out competitive odds for this game that suggests it’s up for grabs.
The reason for this is likely two-fold: the Lakers are evidently road-weary and dealing with some injuries. More importantly, Anthony Davis’ status will be key. Should the team’s leading rebounder miss the game tonight, the Lakers would indeed pack less of a punch. The Celtics, on the flip side, are healthy and raring to go. They are the kind of team that has enough offensive flair to capitalize on any Lakers’ shortcomings. Thus, we’re grabbing the points with the Celtics for our NBA picks.
NBA Pick: Celtics +2.5 (-110) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The pick reflects the line at the moment the writer made the play, the odds at the beginning of this article show the live line movement. Since the lines might vary, don’t forget to refer back to our live odds.
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