Celtics vs Lakers Predictions & Odds (Dec. 13)

Updated: September 19, 2024 at 1:23 pm EDT

Published: December 12, 2022

Jayson Tatum hand up talking to referee — Dec 10, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) reacts after a foul call in the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics are 3.5-point road favorites vs the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday night
Boston will be playing the second night of a back-to-back, after dispatching the Clippers Monday
Read below for the Celtics vs Lakers preview, with odds and predictions

Through the first third of the NBA season, the Boston Celtics (21-7, 10-5 away) have looked every bit the part of favorite in the 2023 NBA Championship odds. However, they’ve staggered as they near the end of a 6-game road trip, getting crushed by the Clippers for their second straight L.

They’ll try to avoid their first 3-game losing streak when they face the Los Angeles Lakers (11-15, 6-6 home), a team that may have turned the corner on what was a brutal start to the season.

LA is coming off a win in Detroit to snap a three-game losing skid, and will be facing a Celtics squad playing the second half of a back-to-back.

It all gets underway Tuesday (Dec 13) at 10pm ET from crypto.com Arena, in a game that can be seen live on TNT.

Celtics vs Lakers Odds

Team	Spread	Moneyline	Total
Boston Celtics	-3.5 (-110)	-165	Ov 233.5 (-110)
Los Angeles Lakers	+3.5 (-110)	+140	Un 233.5 (-110)

Odds as of Dec 12 at DraftKings. Claim the DraftKings Sportsbook promo code to bet on the Celtics vs Lakers game.

The NBA odds have the visiting Celtics as 3.5-point road favorites in a game that features a total of 233.5. Los Angeles is tied for the third-fewest home wins in the West, while the C’s boast the NBA’s best road record at 10-5.

They’re the only team to crack double-digits road wins so far this season.

Boston Betting Outlook

It was an ugly one in LA, where the Clippers doled out a 113-93 whipping. It’s only the fourth time the C’s have fallen behind by 20 points in a game this season. It’s also the first time in 33 games Boston failed to crack the 100-point plateau.

Jayson Tatum, currently tied with Giannis Antetokounmpo at the top of the NBA MVP odds, had 20 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. He’s shot just 13-for-41 (31.7%) in his last two games.

JAYSON.
TATUM.pic.twitter.com/yr5trDCNuN

— Camisa 23 (@camisa_23) December 13, 2022

Despite the loss, the C’s have the best offensive rating in the league, scoring an NBA-best 120.3 points per game. They’re hitting threes at a 39.7% clip (1st), while launching the second-most attempts per night (41.4). Overall, they shoot it at 49.1%, the third-best mark in the league.

Injuries to their frontline may play a factor in this one: Al Horford missed Monday’s game against the Clips for personal reasons, a change from the previous game when he was out due to health and safety protocols.

Robert Williams III is also questionable to make his season debut Tuesday after dealing with a knee injury.

Los Angeles Betting Outlook

After a 2-10 start that had the Lakers bee-lining it to the draft lottery — a juicy pick that would go to New Orleans — LA has somewhat stabilized, winning nine of their next 14 to climb to within two games of the final play-in spot in the West.

Much of that success is due to Anthony Davis morphing into the MVP-caliber talent many thought he was destined for after winning a title in his first year with the Lakers.

Lot of dunks, lot of dimes — Plays of the Week.@MichelobULTRA x #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/dWiH0DOp0E

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 12, 2022

He was dominant again in a 124-117 win against the Pistons, dropping 34 points, adding 15 rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Since November 11, a 13-game sample, the ‘Brow has gone berserk, putting up 31.5 points, 13.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks while shooting 65.9% from the field, and 38.5% from three.

LeBron James actually led the team in scoring with 35 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Russell Westbrook continues to provide a spark off the bench, adding 11 points and nine assists.

The Lakers lead the league in pace, and are fourth in fast-break points. They also dominate inside, putting up 56.6 points in the paint, the third-best rate in the NBA.

Celtics vs Lakers Prediction

It’s been no rest, no problem for Boston, who have been a perfect 4-0 straight up and against the spread on the second night of a back-to-back.

They’re also a solid wager against the lesser teams, running a 6-1 ATS mark in their last seven vs teams with a losing record. Conversely, LA is 1-9 ATS in their last 10 against teams with a winning record.

In this matchup of the league’s glamour franchises, Boston has ruled lately, going 6-1 ATS in the last seven head-to-heads.

The problem for Boston is AD, who will dominate either Grant Williams or Blake Griffin, or less-appealing options like Luke Kornet or Koah Vonleh. That’s advantage LA, all day.

I think road-weary Boston avoids the three-game skid, but it’ll be a close one.

Pick:

Lakers +3.5 (-110); 1 unit to win 0.91 units
NBA Betting Record: 15-12 ATS, 1-0 ML, 2-3 o/u; 0-2 parlays; +0.08 units

Eric Rosales

Sports Writer & Editor

Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.

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