Celtics vs Lakers Picks and Odds
- The Boston Celtics are 5.5-point road favorites over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night at the Staples Center
- The Celtics have won four straight games and six of their last seven
- A look at the odds for Celtics-Lakers along with analysis and a pick can be found below
The Boston Celtics will look to complete a perfect road trip and keep their winning streak going when they visit the Los Angeles Lakers at 10pm ET Thursday at Staples Center.
The Celtics (29-26) have won the first two games of their trip, including edging the Portland Trail Blazers 116-115 on Tuesday as one-point underdogs. Boston has won four games in a row overall and six of its last seven.
The Lakers (34-21) return home off a 4-3 road trip that concluded Tuesday with a 101-93 victory over the Charlotte Hornets as one-point favorites. Los Angeles has alternated wins and losses in its last nine games but has been a winner against the spread in three its past four games.
Celtics vs Lakers Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread at FoxBet | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | -250 | -5.5 (-118) | Over 211.5 (-110) |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +200 | +5.5 (-100) | Under 211.5 (-110) |
Odds as of April 14
Celtics Heating Up
Jayson Tatum scored 32 points to lead the Celtics over the Trail Blazers and has played well during the winning streak. He also had nine rebounds and five assists while recording his 14th 30-point game of the season.
ANOTHER big second half from our @Gatorade Player of the Game, @jaytatum0 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/27I1FY7mlB
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 14, 2021
Tatum’s step-back three-pointer with 8.5 seconds left wound up sealing the victory as it put the Celtics ahead 116-112.
Last Friday, Tatum dropped a career-high 53 points on the Minnesota Timberwolves. Surprisingly, Tatum told reporters he is using an inhaler to help with breathing problems that linger from his bout with COVID-19 in January.
Rob with the follow! pic.twitter.com/ecBN0iIEFL
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 14, 2021
Jaylen Brown added 24 points for the Celtics. Kemba Walker finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Robert Williams III scored 16 points on 8-of-12 shooting and Marcus Smart contributed 13 points and seven assists.
Evan Fournier missed fifth straight game because of NBA health and safety protocols and will sit out again versus the Lakers.
Solid Trip for Lakers
Coach Frank Vogel said he was satisfied with the Lakers’ road trip, especially with LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (calf) continuing to be sidelined by injuries. Neither superstar has a timeline for a return.
Kyle Kumza led the Lakers with 24 points at Charlotte. Dennis Schroder had 19 points and six assists and Alex Caruso chipped in with 13 points and six assists off the bench.
This is what happens when you share the ball and just keep sprinting 👀 pic.twitter.com/XnEcI5MJTm
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 14, 2021
Andre Drummond had 12 rebounds but managed four points on 2-of-7 shooting. The veteran center is averaging just 9.2 points in five games with the Lakers since signing as a free agent after taking a buyout from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Drummond scored 17.5 points a game in 25 games with the Cavaliers this season.
Los Angeles also played without a third starter as Markieff Morris sat out with a sprained left ankle. Reserve Marc Gasol (hamstring) did not play either but is expected to be ready Thursday.
THT pra 🔨 do Markieff Morris pic.twitter.com/vgnSpaBd4n
— Basquete 4 All (@Basquete4All) April 11, 2021
The Lakers’ defense played well, holding the Hornets to 43.4% (36-of-83) from the field and 25.7% (9-of-35) from three-point range. Los Angeles also forced 18 turnovers and turned them into 26 points.
However, the Hornets were without five of their top six scorers. Those five players have accounted for 72% of Charlotte’s scoring this season.
Lakers Eke Out Win
The Lakers edged the Celtics 96-95 on Jan. 30 at Boston as three-point underdogs in the teams’ lone meeting this season.
However, the Lakers had their stars in that game. Davis had 27 points and 14 rebounds and James added 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Tatum topped the Celtics with 30 points and Brown was right behind with 28.
Both teams struggled from distance as the Celtics made just 6-of-21 (28.6%) of their three-point attempts and the Lakers were 9-of-31 (29.0%).
The Celtics are hot and sizeable road favorites in this one. However, the Lakers are at least treading water while waiting for James and Davis to return.
Los Angeles should keep this one close, especially with fans in the stands at the Staples Center for the first time all season.
The Pick: Lakers +5.5 (-100)
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John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
