The Los Angeles Lakers will host the Boston Celtics in a nationally televised NBA showdown on Sunday evening. Tipoff from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Our NBA betting expert Matt Moore has locked in his top NBA spread prediction for Sunday's contest.
Continue below for our Lakers vs Celtics spread prediction, best bet, and preview for Sunday, February 22.
Lakers vs Celtics Spread Prediction
| Time (ET) | Best Bet |
|---|---|
| 6:30 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NBA Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | |
Lakers vs Celtics Odds
| Celtics Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -115 | 229.5 -105o / -115u | -125 |
| Lakers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -105 | 229.5 -105o / -115u | +105 |
Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers Preview
Celtics -1.5 / Over 229.5
Celtics -1.5
What is this line? Why is this line? Who is this line?
I can’t fathom this. I understand it on a very surface level. Here are the records for these teams:
- Celtics: 36-19
- Lakers: 34-21
Two back in the loss column, two back overall. OK, pretty even teams.
Now, here are the net ratings for both, schedule-adjusted, per DunksAndThrees.com:
- Celtics: +6.2
- Lakers: -0.3
That’s right, the Lakers have been outscored this season per-100 possessions, schedule-adjusted. That’s a 6.5-point differential, and I don’t care how much of a homecourt LA Nightlife provides; that’s just a preposterous gap between that and the line.
OK, but the Lakers have had a lot of injuries. What about when Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James play together?
The Lakers are 8-3 in those games, yay! They are only +1.5 in point differential, boo! (6-5 ATS, by the way).
The real problem though, is this: the Lakers get blown out by any team with a pulse.
The Lakers are 5-10 with a -12.2 point differential against teams with a top-10 point differential. They have been absolutely destroyed anytime they face anyone good. Even at home, the Lakers are 3-5 with a -7.9 point differential.
The Celtics, you will note, are among those top-10 teams.
OK, so what about from a matchup standpoint?
The Lakers should score here (spoiler, I like the Over too).
Boston is in the bottom-10 in pick-and-roll defense.
The Celtics are great at closing out and containing shooters. They are vulnerable to offensive rebounding, and LA is 5th in second-chance points.
But the Lakers’ defense just bleeds, constantly — and against a Boston team that is so good at finding good shots, it’s super dangerous.
I’m not saying the Lakers can’t win this game. They are not massively outmatched.
I’m saying that based on all the data we have available, this line is flat out incredibly wrong.
Over 229.5
For all these same reasons, I want the Over at 228.5.
The Over in games with the Lakers’ big three is 7-4. The Lakers are the No. 1 Over team at home.
Boston plays glacially slow, but the efficiency watermark is too high in this game on both ends.
Celtics vs Lakers Best Bets
- Celtics -1.5 (-115)
- Over 229.5 (-110)
