Celtics vs. Lakers Picks & Predictions 12/13/22

Boston Celtics (21-7 SU, 17-11-0 ATS) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (11-15 SU, 11-14-1 ATS)
When: Tuesday, December 13th, 10:00 PM (ET)
Where: Crypto.com Arena, CA, Los Angeles
TV: TNT

Point Spread: BOS -3.5/ LAL +3.5
Total: 233.5
Money Line: Boston Celtics -170/ +138

Notable Injuries

Celtics

• Al Horford (Out) Health Protocols
• Danilo Gallinari (Out) Knee
• Robert Williams III (Out) Knee

Lakers

• Anthony Davis (Probable) Back
• LeBron James (Probable) Ankle
• Wenyen Gabriel (Out) Shoulder
• Juan Toscano-Anderson (Out) Ankle

Recent Form

Heading into the game, Boston is 21-7 overall. When taking to the road, Boston has a mark of 10-5 and a win percentage of 67.0%. Currently, the team is 1st in the Eastern Conference. So far, they are 17-11-0 vs. the spread. Boston travels to take on the Lakers hoping to avoid their 3rd straight loss.

In their most recent matchup, Clippers defeated Boston with a score of 113-93. Jaylen Brown scored the most points for the team with 21, but it was not enough to earn the win. The Celtics were 4 points ahead going into the game.

Heading into the game, Los Angeles is 11-15 overall. When playing at home, Los Angeles has a mark of 6-6 and a win percentage of 50%. Currently, the team is 12th in the Western Conference. So far, they are 11-14-1 vs. the spread. In Los Angeles’ last five games, the Lakers have a straight-up record of 2-3 while going 2-3 in those games. Going back to the last 10, they are 6-4 and 6-4 ATS.

In their last game, Los Angeles defeated the Pistons (124-117) as 5-point favorites. LeBron James led the team with 35 points on 58.3% shooting. The Lakers also covered the spread with the victory.

The Historicals

In last season’s head-to-head matchups, the teams split the season series. In these games, each team won on their home floor. Similar to their season-long average, the Celtics averaged 116.0 points per game vs. the Lakers. Just like the Celtics, the Lakers maintained their usual level of scoring in head-to-head matchups, averaging 112.5 points per game vs. Boston. The ATS record across the previous five head-to-head meetings is 4-1 in favor of the Celtics. In these matchups, Boston has averaged 112 points per game while allowing 109. Boston and Los Angeles averaged a combined 221 points per game in these games, leading to an over-under mark of 3-2.

Analysis

For the season, Boston has put together one of the top-scoring offenses in the NBA at 119.3 points per game. When looking at their style of play, the team is currently near the league average in pace, averaging 99.4 possessions per contest. The Celtics have been able to put together a strong offensive attack despite sitting just 2nd in 3-point shooting percentage. Overall, they are among the league leaders in attempts at 41.4 attempts per game. Defensively, the Celtics have been one of the best units in the NBA, allowing just 104.48 points per game. So far, they have done an excellent job defending the 3-point arc, allowing teams to hit just 33.86%.

As the Celtics prepare for today’s game, Jayson Tatum is their leading scorer with an average of 29.7 points per game. This season, Tatum has a field goal percentage of 46.8%. The team’s second-leading scorer is Jaylen Brown, who is averaging 26.6 points per game.

This season, Los Angeles is among the league leaders in scoring, averaging 114.8 points per game. So far, the Lakers are also one of the more up-tempo teams in the league, sitting at 102.8 possessions per game. Los Angeles has struggled with their 3-point shot this season, as they are currently ranked just 28th in 3-point shooting percentage at 32.2%. In addition, they are near the bottom of the league in attempts, at just 30.2 attempts per contest. The Los Angeles defense hasn’t been effective for the most part, as they are currently allowing 115.15 points per game. In terms of their 3-point defense, opposing teams have hit 35.38% of their looks from deep, placing the Lakers 18th in the NBA.

Going into today’s game, Anthony Davis is the leading scorer for the Los Angeles team with an average of 27.7 points per game. This season, his field goal percentage is 59.6%. The team’s second top scorer is LeBron James, who is averaging 26.2 points per game.

Betting Trends

• The Celtics are 4-0 ATS in their last four games playing on 0 days’ rest.
• The Celtics are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 Tuesday games.
• The Lakers are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games.
• The Lakers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

The Lakers return home after a long six-game road trip. Teams tend to have tired legs after that long of travel. I’m betting the Celtics to return to form in a big TNT game after a couple of losses in their last two games.