LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. BOSTON CELTICS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — January 23, 2025

LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. BOSTON CELTICS EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTIONS — January 23, 2025 — Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Godzilla Wins. One of the games on tap from today’s slate features the Los Angeles Lakers (23-18 SU, 20-21 ATS) hosting the Boston Celtics (31-13 SU, 18-26 ATS) in a battle between two of most storied franchises in league history.

Here is a look at which squad has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Tipoff

When: Thursday, January 23, 2025 @ 10:00 PM ET

Where: Crypto.com Arena,  Los Angeles, CA

TV: TNT,  truTV, and MAX

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics — Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

Lakers Coming Off Easy Win Over Washington Wizards

After a 126-102 setback against the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 13, the Lakers have responded with three victories in their last four games. This includes a blowout 111-88 win against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. Anthony Davis had a monster performance, finishing with 29 points and 16 rebounds. It is also worth noting that he had four blocked shots.

LeBron James finished with a triple-double that included 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists. Austin Reeves contributed 16 points and eight assists, while Dorian Finney-Smith scored 16 points off the bench. This game was never in doubt as LA built a 10-point lead through the first three quarters and then outscored Washington by a 22-11 margin in the final frame. While the Lakers have gone 3-1 in their last four outings, two of those wins have come against the Brooklyn Nets and the woeful Wizards. That said, seeing how they match up against the defending champs will be interesting.

Celtics Outlast Clippers In Their Last Outing

Meanwhile, after a 110-97 defeat at the hands of the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 15, the Celtics have responded with three wins in their last four contests, including a 117-113 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers last night. Jaylen Brown was one of four starters who reached double figures. He scored a team-high 25 points, along with six assists and three steals.

Jayson Tatum did not have a great shooting night (9-22 FG, 4-13 3PT) but finished with 24 points, seven boards, and eight dimes. Derrick White added 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Kristaps Porzingis chipped in with 15 points on an efficient 5-for-7 effort from the field. Things didn’t look good for Boston after it coughed up a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter. However, order was restored as the Celtics opened the extra session with 3-pointers from Brown, White, and Tatum that pushed their lead to seven points (112-105). LA trimmed the deficit to two points multiple times, but Boston held on for the win.

Now that we have set the stage for the East vs. West showdown, let’s examine the betting trends for both teams.

Lakers vs. Celtics Spread Analysis

Given their two-game winning streak, the Celtics enter this matchup as a five-point favorite (per OddsShark.com). Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season.

• The Lakers are 2-4 ATS in their last six games.
• Los Angeles is 2-5 ATS in its previous seven Thursday night matchups.
• The Lakers have covered the spread six times in their last eight games as the underdog.
• The Celtics are 2-5 ATS in their previous seven outings.
• Boston is 5-1 ATS in its last six Thursday contests.
• The Celtics have covered the spread 10 times in 20 road games this season.

Prediction: Boston Celtics (-5)

Lakers vs. Celtics Over/Under Prediction

The projected scoring total for this matchup is 221.5 points (via OddsShark.com). Let’s see why going with the “under” is the intelligent choice.

• The total has gone UNDER 23 times in the Lakers’ 41 games this season.
• The UNDER total is 7-2 in LA’s last nine matchups against Atlantic Division opponents.
• The total has gone UNDER seven times in the Celtics’ previous 10 outings.
• In Boston’s last six road games, the UNDER total has prevailed five times.

Prediction: UNDER 221.5 points

Lakers vs. Celtics Player Prop Bet

Usually, my player prop pick is from the host team. However, given the “probable” status of the Lakers’ top two scorers, Jaylen Brown is my key player to watch for the road team. He currently has -115 odds of scoring more than 22.5 points and -115 odds of finishing with less than 22.5 points (via DraftKings.com).

Here is a look at how his numbers stack up against the projected points total for this matchup.

• During the season, Brown is averaging 23.2 points per game.
• In 14 career matchups against Los Angeles, Brown has averaged 19.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per outing on 50.2 percent shooting from  the field.
• Brown has suited up in 21 home games this season. In those contests, he averages 24.5 points per contest.
• Across his last four starts, Brown has put up 21.5 points per game, exceeding the points total for this matchup twice during that stretch.

Prediction: Jaylen Brown OVER 22.5 points