Lakers Look to Blanket Rival Celtics

It's a bit of a longshot at this point but Saturday's encounter between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics might be an NBA Finals preview if things fall right. The Lakers (14-6 SU, 10-10 ATS) are doing their part despite dropping a 107-92 decision to Detroit last time out, while Boston (10-7 SU, 9-8) has some work to do in the competitive Eastern Conference.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Lakers kicked things off as 2.5-point road favorites, and have since moved to between -1.5 and -2 at the majority of sportsbooks. The total opened at 219.5 but has dropped between a half and full point depending on where you bet.

LA Lakers News & Notes

You wouldn't think that a team with LeBron James at the helm would struggle to score points – but that is what has happened over the past two games with the Lakers averaging just 99 points in back-to-back losses to the 76ers and Pistons. Bench scoring was a significant issue in both games with the reserves scoring just 52 total points on 40.3 percent shooting in those losses.

Help could be on the way Saturday with power forward Anthony Davis listed as questionable with a knee injury that kept him out of the loss to the Pistons. Davis averages 21.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists on the season but likely won't be a viable daily fantasy option even if he does play, since he has been consistently priced up across the majority of DFS sites.

Boston News & Notes

The Celtics came into the season as one of the favorites to challenge for the Eastern Conference championship – but they enter the weekend third in their own division following losses in four of their previous six games. That includes a 110-106 loss to San Antonio last time out, a defeat that saw Boston allow the Spurs to shoot better than 56 percent from the floor.

Getting forward Jayson Tatum back on track is critical to the Celtics' short- and long-term success. Tatum has averaged 24.5 points in two games since returning from a lengthy COVID-19-related absence, but that falls below his season scoring average of 26.5. He also shot 33 percent from beyond the arc in those two games after averaging nearly 43 percent prior to his absence.

Betting Pick: UNDER 219 (-110)

Look for the Lakers to continue doing what they do best – stifling opposing offenses. These teams have a history of high-scoring games in recent years, but that streak ends Saturday.