Two classic NBA rivals having down seasons will meet on the hardwood on Friday night as the Boston Celtics play on the road at Staples Center against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Celtics fell 107-104 at home to the Lakers in their most recent meeting on January 17, with Los Angeles winning as a 7-point road underdog in that contest.
The OVER has paid out in each of the last four games between the two teams.
Los Angeles will face the 19-36 Celtics, who own a 26-28-1 ATS mark on the season. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). In totals betting, the Lakers are 29-23-2 favoring the UNDER so far this season while the Celtics are 21-34 favoring the OVER.
View Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers Odds and Stats.
This game matches up the No. 28 (Lakers) and the No. 25 (Celtics) teams in the league, according to our current NBA Power Rankings at Odds Shark. A 89-87 result in favor of the Celtics is predicted by handicapping models.
Last time out for Boston, they were a 100-94 loser as they battled the Suns on the road. The Celtics earned a push in the match as a 6-point underdog, while 194 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. The Celtics got 18 points from Rajon Rondo, but it was Phoenix that prevailed in a 100-94 final on Wednesday at US Airways Center.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits Los Angeles's No. 14-ranked offense, averaging 100.61 PPG, against a Celtics defense that ranks No. 8 at 98.62 PPG. The Lakers field goal percentage has averaged 44.32% so far, more than the Celtics shooters have achieved on the year, 43.59% per game.
Next up:
Boston at Sacramento, Saturday, February 22nd
Los Angeles home to Brooklyn, Sunday, February 23rd
