Los Angeles (8-8 SU, 6-10 ATS) has lost five of its eight games since losing LeBron James to injury. The Lakers try to pull out of their funk when they visit the Celtics (7-8, 7-8), who have dropped two of their last three. Boston is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings between the longtime rivals.
- Date/Time: November 19, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Arena: TD Garden
- TV Coverage: ESPN
- Sportsbook Odds: Celtics -1 | O/U 210.5 (Line History)
- Lakers vs Celtics Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Not many sportsbooks were offering a betting line for this contest Thursday night due to the uncertain status of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. The few that did made the Celtics a 1-point favorite, although Boston had moved to -2 at some sites as of Friday morning.
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Los Angeles News & Notes
Reports were surfacing at the time of writing that James might return from an abdominal injury that has sidelined him for the last eight games, and the Lakers could certainly use him. LA has gone 3-5 SU since James was hurt, and just one of those three victories came in regulation.
It hasn’t helped that Los Angeles has also been playing without Trevor Ariza and Kendrick Nunn, neither of whom have suited up for a game this year. Anthony Davis is also banged up, bruising his thigh in Wednesday’s 109-102 loss in Milwaukee when he was limited to 18 points and nine rebounds. Davis has just one double-double in his last four games and has been held under 24 points in four of his last five.
If there’s a bright spot for the Lakers these days, it’s the play of Talen Horton-Tucker. The wing has led LA in scoring in each of its last two contests and is averaging 23.3 points in three games since missing the start of the season following offseason thumb surgery.
Boston News & Notes
The Celtics could also get a key player back as they return home from a three-game road trip. Brown was upgraded to questionable on Thursday as he nurses a hamstring strain that has forced him to miss Boston’s last six games, and more news about his availability should come as game time approaches.
Boston is just 3-3 SU since Brown went down, although the Celts have covered four of those six games and are on a 6-2 ATS run in their last eight. Boston’s defense is a big reason the team has been covering numbers lately, holding five of its last eight opponents to 92 points or less. The Celtics were lit up in their most recent outing, though, giving up 110 in Wednesday’s loss at Atlanta.
Offensively, Boston comes into tonight in a bit of a funk, failing to crack the century mark in three straight games. Jayson Tatum and Grant Williams combined to score 52 of the Celtics’ 99 points against the Hawks, when the rest of the team missed 18 of 21 three-point attempts.
How Los Angeles Will Cover
LA has won just four of its 10 games without James in the lineup this season, so the return of The King would go a long way toward the Lakers getting a win and cover in Boston. Even if James doesn’t suit up, however, Los Angeles should bring plenty of focus as it looks to get things going in the right direction.
How Boston Will Cover
The Celtics’ sputtering offense could get a boost from a return home, where they’ve cracked triple digits in each of their last four games. Meanwhile, Los Angeles is playing its fourth game in six days and Davis might be limited by his injured thigh.
Computer Pick: Celtics -2
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Buy Sports Picks Now- Los Angeles is 3-5 SU in its last 8 games.
- Boston is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games.
- Boston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games vs LA.
