Celtics vs Lakers Picks & Odds for Summer League (July 17)

• NBA Summer League action continues on Thursday with the Celtics and Lakers
• The Celtics are 3.5-point favorites vs the Lakers
• See below for my Celtics vs Lakers picks and the latest odds for the NBA Summer League

The biggest rivalry in the NBA is back in action tonight. The stakes might not be as high since it is Summer League, but the Celtics and Lakers should still put on an exciting game.

Boston is favored by 3.5 vs Bronny James and the Lakers on Thursday night. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 9 pm ET.

Keep reading for the latest Celtics vs Lakers odds, plus my picks and best bets.

Celtics vs Lakers Odds

The Celtics opened as 2.5-point favorites, but that line quickly moved to -3.5. With -170 odds on the moneyline, sportsbooks are giving Boston an implied win probability of 62.96%. This game features the lowest total of the NBA Summer League slate today with an O/U of 175.5.

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Odds as of July 17 at BetMGM. See SBD’s list of the top NBA betting apps for Summer League.

Celtics vs Lakers Picks

Celtics vs Lakers Best Bet #1: Celtics -3.5

I am picking the Celtics to cover the spread vs the Lakers. These two teams are trending in opposite directions in the Summer League. The Celtics are 2-1 in their Summer League games, while the Lakers put up just 58 points in their last game.

Boston is led by Baylor Scheierman, who is expected to have a role for the Celtics come the NBA season. The shooter is getting a lot of minutes in the Summer League to show what he can do. He is averaging 13.3 points, 7 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game in the Summer League. The Celtics have also received quality contributions from rookie Hugo Gonzalez and Jordan Walsh, who is entering his third season.

The Lakers have been struggling offensively. Bronny James played well in Los Angeles’s last game, scoring 17 points, but the Lakers still lost. Dalton Knecht has also shown flashes, but he has been inconsistent. Cole Swider is actually the one who is leading the Lakers with 19.7 points per game. He is also shooting 48.3% from the three-point line this summer.

Overall, the Lakers are just far too inconsistent on offense for me to have any confidence in backing LA in this game. Boston is deeper and has a strong defense, which should make it difficult for the Lakers to score points.

Celtics vs Lakers Best Bet #2: Under 175.5

I am also betting on the low total in this game. As I mentioned earlier, the Lakers scored just 58 points in their last game, and their offense is not meshing. This O/U is low for a reason, and I am betting on the under.

All three Lakers games have gone under this number. The Celtics have been better, but not by much. Boston has failed to reach 100 points in three Summer League games, and their defense has also been strong. They have allowed just 86.3 points per game to their opponents.

Two of Boston’s three Summer League games combined for 175 points or less. While the Lakers have struggled offensively, their defense has been solid. The most points that they have given up is 87, and that was in their first game.

The Celtics should win and cover this game in a low-scoring affair.