Los Angeles Lakers (40-21 SU, 35-25 ATS) vs. Boston Celtics (45-18 SU, 28-34 ATS)

When: Saturday, March 8th, 8:30 PM (ET)

Where: TD Garden, MA, Boston

TV: ABC

Point Spread: LAL +7.5/Bos -7.5

Total: 226.5

Money Line: Los Angeles Lakers +218/-264

Notable Injuries

Lakers

• LeBron James (Probable) Foot
• Maxi Kleber (Out) Foot
• Luka Dončić (Probable) Knee
• Jaxson Hayes (Questionable) Knee
• Rui Hachimura (Out) Knee

Celtics

• Jrue Holiday (Questionable) Finger
• Kristaps Porzingis (Questionable) Illness
• Sam Hauser (Questionable) Ankle

At 8:30 ET, the Lakers (40-21) will travel to Boston to take on the Celtics (45-18) in a non-conference matchup. The Celtics are currently favored by 7.5 points and have won three straight games, while the Lakers have won eight in a row.

This game will be played at TD Garden and can be seen on ABC.

Recent Form

The Lakers improved to 40-21 on the season with a 113-109 win over the Knicks on Thursday. Los Angeles, favored by 2.5 points, covered the spread with the victory. The combined score of 222 points fell short of the 231.5-point O/U line.

After leading 31-27 at the end of the 1st quarter, the Lakers fell behind 60-51 at halftime as the Knicks outscored them 33-20 in the 2nd quarter. Los Angeles edged New York 25-24 in the 3rd quarter and then held the Knicks to just 15 points in the 4th while scoring 23 points to complete the comeback.

Boston improved to 45-18 this season with a 123-105 win over the 76ers on Thursday. Playing at home, the Celtics were favored by 13.5 points and covered the spread. The game’s total score of 228 points went over the line of 217.5.

A key moment for Boston was a 10-0 run that extended their lead from 25-19 to 35-19. They outscored the 76ers 35-24 in the 1st quarter and 29-22 in the 2nd. Heading into the 4th quarter with a 97-79 lead, both teams scored 26 points in the final period.

The Historicals

Across the previous five meetings between the teams, the Lakers have an average scoring margin of +3 points per game, leading to an ATS mark of 3-1-1. The over-under record in these same games is 3-2, with the teams combining for an average of 231 points per game.

Analysis

Luka Dončić and LeBron James powered the Lakers’ offense in their win over the Knicks, with Dončić posting 32 points and 12 assists despite shooting just 39.1% from the field. James added 31 points and 12 rebounds, hitting 47.8% of his shots. The Lakers connected on 14 threes, shooting 33.3% from deep and 42.7% overall.

Gabe Vincent was perfect from beyond the arc, hitting four threes at 100% efficiency, finishing with 12 points, 9 of which came in the 4th quarter. Dončić also added 5 points in overtime, while James contributed 4 in the extra period.

The Lakers gave up 109 points to the Knicks but clamped down in the 4th quarter, allowing just 15 points to secure the win. Overall, they held the Knicks to 39% shooting from the field.

From beyond the arc, the Lakers limited the Knicks to 10 made threes on 23% shooting. They also finished with seven steals and four blocks.

Jayson Tatum’s 35 points, including 18 in the 1st quarter and 15 in the 3rd, led the Celtics to a 123-105 win over the 76ers. Tatum hit five threes at 45.5% and shot 60.9% overall. Payton Pritchard added 19 points, with 8 in the 4th quarter, and made four threes at 50%.

The Celtics connected on 19 threes, shooting 39.6% from deep and 50.5% overall. Baylor Scheierman contributed 15 points, hitting three threes, while Derrick White and Torrey Craig each scored 10 of their 12 points in a single quarter.

The Celtics held the 76ers to 105 points on Thursday, giving up 24 points in the 1st quarter and 22 in the 2nd. They had a rough 3rd quarter, allowing 33 points, but bounced back in the 4th, giving up just 26. Boston limited Philadelphia to 42% shooting from the field.

From beyond the arc, the Celtics allowed 15 threes on 38% shooting. The 76ers went to the line 12 times, making 10 free throws. Defensively, Boston recorded eight steals and six blocks.

Betting Trends

• Los Angeles has played well in their previous five road games, going 4-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 120 points per game while allowing 108. The team also performed well vs. the spread at 4-1.
• Across the Celtic’s last ten home games, the team averaged 113 points per game while allowing 106. Their record vs. the spread in these contests was 5-5 while going 8-2 straight-up.
• As the betting underdog, the Lakers have an ATS mark of just 8-2 in their last ten games. Los Angeles posted a straight-up mark of 7-3 in these matchups.
• Boston has done well both straight up and vs. the spread when favored to win the game, going 3-0 SU and 3-0 ATS in their last three games.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

The Lakers are rolling right now, but facing the Celtics in Boston is as tough as it gets in the league. However, I think Los Angeles has the ability to play tough tonight. With the spread sitting at +7.5, I’m locking in the Lakers to cover.