The Los Angeles Lakers (16-5) and Boston Celtics (13-9) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. EST from TD Garden in Boston, Mass. The game will broadcast live on Amazon Prime Video.
The Celtics are 6.5-point favorites over the Lakers on the spread (Celtics -6.5), with the over/under set at 225.5 total points. Boston is a -240 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Los Angeles is +200 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Lakers vs. Celtics predictions and NBA picks for Friday, December 5.
My Lakers vs Celtics Prediction
- Lakers vs Celtics pick: Over 225.5 (-110)
My Celtics vs Lakers best bet is on the over, with the best price currently available at bet365. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Lakers vs Celtics Odds
| Lakers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 225.5 -110 / -110 | +200 |
| Celtics Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 225.5 -110 / -110 | -240 |
Lakers vs Celtics NBA Preview
I want to take the Lakers moneyline so badly.
JJ Redick is incredible in bad rest spots. He’s 11-7 ATS on a back-to-back and 6-4 ATS on a road back-to-back.
Even with the likely absences of Luka Doncic and LeBron James, this reeks of a game where Boston, after an impressive winning streak, gets caught by a random team of role players and Austin Reaves.
However, the odds of Doncic playing are slim, and James hasn’t been ruled out yet.
At Lakers +6.5, this is likely a halfway line where it will move once Doncic and James are announced out.
So, not only is this not the right time to bet it, but with those absences, I power rate this at Celtics -8.7.
I need double-digits on the spread to really pique my interest.
Lakers vs Celtics Prediction, Betting Analysis
Instead, I’m taking the over.
When Luka Doncic does not play this season, the over is 5-0.
The Lakers have enough firepower to score, even against a pretty good Boston defense.
The average total when Doncic plays is 231, it drops by five points without Doncic.
At 225.5, this is well below that, and I project this all the way up at 235.
Side note: If Doncic somehow makes it back from what is presumably the birth of his child to play in this game, I’ll come back in on the under for a middle opportunity.
The trends support playing the under in JJ Redick back-to-backs and road spots.
I specifically like the over in the event that Luka is out for this game. I’ll also want Lakers moneyline in the event that happens, regardless of what LeBron does.
Pick: Over 225.5 (-110)
Spread
I'm not betting either side of the spread in this game.
Moneyline
No play on the moneyline as well.
Over/Under
My Celtics vs Lakers betting prediction is on the over at 225.5 total points.
Celtics vs Lakers Betting Trends
