Betting

NBA Christmas Day – Celtics vs. Lakers Odds, Preview, and Prediction

Continuing on the Boston sports Christmas weekend fun, the Celtics’ West Coast road trip moves forward on Monday afternoon as they’ll take on their rival Lakers in Los Angeles.

Here are the odds for Monday afternoon’s contest, according to FanDuel Sportsbook:

Celtics @ Lakers – 5:10 p.m.

Spread: Celtics -3

Moneyline: Celtics -152/Lakers +128

Total: 234.5

Storylines

We’re taking a page out of the Peter King book here and previewing this one with some bold-faced names and quick hitters:

— Boston comes into this one with a 22-6 record (14-0 at home, 8-6 on the road), holding the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and coming off of a monstrous 145-108 win over the Clippers.

— As for the Lakers, they won the inaugural 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament back in early December, but sit with a 16-14 record through 30 games and are fighting for a play-in seed as we approach the New Year.

— Jayson Tatum (+2800) has the sixth shortest odds to win the NBA MVP award according to FanDuel. He sits behind Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Giannis Antetekounmpo.

— The Celtics current win total sits at O/U 59.5 at FanDuel. The OVER is juiced to -180.

— The Lakers current win total sits at 46.5, with the UNDER juiced to -130.

— Doc Rivers, who coached the Celtics for nine seasons and won a championship in 2008, will be on the call for ESPN. This has been fantastic for me,” Rivers told The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn of his new role in the booth this week. “I get to reevaluate the league. When you’re coaching in one spot, you don’t get to see the league and evaluate talent and teams and coaches. It’s nice to take a bigger-picture look at the league. So it’s been a joy for me. I love it. I love it. I’ve had a great time.”

Prediction & Pick

The Celtics are 7-1 since their In-Season Tournament loss to the Pacers on December 4, while the Lakers have lost 4 of their last 5. On top of this, Boston is averaging just over 138 points per game over their last three, while Los Angeles is allowing 121 over their last six.

I’m taking the hot team on the road in this one. Celtics win and cover and the total goes over.

Score: Celtics 121 – Lakers 115

Side: Celtics -2

Total: OVER 234.5

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick and head to FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook, for all of your sports wagering.

Mike Kadlick

Mike is a Patriots reporter with experience in radio, podcasting, and writing. Follow him on Twitter @mikekadlick.

Recent Posts

Where Christian Gonzalez Contract Situation Stands as Patriots Training Camp Begins

In the latest crossover episode of Patriots Daily and Patriots Beat, hosts Mike Kadlick, Alex…

13 hours ago

Does the Jordan Walsh Extension Make Sense?

In the latest episode of The Garden Report, Bobby Manning, A. Sherrod Blakely, and Jimmy…

13 hours ago

Jordan Walsh Extended, Celtics Linked to Bradley Beal & Next Offseason Moves

Join Bobby Manning, Jimmy Toscano, and Sherrod Blakely as they react to Jordan Walsh signing…

13 hours ago

What to Watch for at Patriots Training Camp

SI's Mike Kadlick, Pats Pulpit's Brian Hines, and 98.5's Alex Barth get together for a…

14 hours ago

Celtics Extend Jordan Walsh to Three-Year Contract Extension

The Celtics extended Jordan Walsh to a three-year, $15 million contract extension on Thursday, according to Shams…

17 hours ago

Have the Bruins Improved this Offseason? | Bruins Beat

On this episode of Bruins Beat, Evan Marinofsky and Marcus Antonelli dive into the offseason and where…

17 hours ago