.jpg)
It’s one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports and just the mention of a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics brings up memories of the days when Magic and Bird were dueling for NBA titles. The teams have combined for 33 NBA championships and have faced each other 12 times in the Finals, but neither club has been there since the last meeting in 2010. The Lakers are in the middle of a massive overhaul but the future looks good with a stable of young talent that has them off to a good start this season.
Don’t miss the hardwood action from TD Garden at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 8, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on ESPN. We’ll have NBA opening odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Wednesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Lakers open their first extended road trip of the season with Wednesday’s contest and we’ll see how the young group responds. They haven’t been East of Salt Lake City yet, so this will be a challenging excursion. They are 1-2 SU in away games with the last a heartbreaking 113-110 loss in Portland on a Damian Lillard dagger. They did cover in that one and are 2-1 ATS.
It looks as though the Celtics have recovered from the loss of Gordon Hayward, who messed up his leg in the opener. The Cs dropped their first two games before reeling off eight straight wins while covering each time. Boston is the best team playing against the spread with a record of 9-1, including three SU and ATS victories in their last three games at the Garden.
Scheduling Situation
The league opened the regular season a little earlier to ease the travel situation for all clubs, cutting down on back-to-backs. They still exist, however, and the Celtics will be coming off one of theirs when they host the Lakers. Boston finished up a three-game road trip with back to back games against Orlando and Atlanta and will have a day before entertaining Los Angeles. It’ll be Boston’s third game in four nights and fourth in six with plenty of travel involved.
Of course it’s still early in the year and the Celtics’ younger players shouldn’t be fazed by the miles logged. But it does wear on a team, especially when the opponent has had plenty of down time. The Lakers last played on Sunday night and will have a few days off before opening a four-game road trip.
Player to Watch
The Lakers expected their first-round draft pick to have an immediate impact on the club. They just didn’t think that first-rounder would be Kyle Kuzma. The rookie from Utah taken with the 27th pick has outshined Lonzo Ball in the early going and the Lakers have their power forward of the future and the present. And it looks as though Kuzma will get more run time at the position now that Larry Nance Jr. is on the shelf for a few months with a broken hand.
Making his first career NBA start in place of Nance, Kuzma had a monster game with 21 points and 13 rebounds in a win over the Nets, giving him back-to-back 20-point games and his second double-double of the season. Through the first nine games of his professional career, Kuzma is averaging 15.7 points while hitting on 56.3 percent of his field goals. He’s made it difficult for Luke Walton to take him off the floor and Kuz played 39 minutes against the Nets, making 8 of 11 from the field. He’s also hit at least one three-pointer in each of the last eight games while draining triples at a 33.3 percent clip.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Lakers are still a work in progress and that’s not what you want to be when taking on the Celtics in the Garden. Boston could be fatigued from their road trip and playing their third game in four nights, which could make the score closer. But the Cs are the more talented team and should win this game. I like the Lakers group of young players, but Ball has been a disappointment in the early stages. He’ll likely get better as the season progresses, but he’ll get a rude introduction to the rivalry.
Boston is the hottest team in the NBA and they’re doing it without Hayward. Kyrie Irving likes being the guy and has taken over the role expertly. The Celtics’ backcourt will outplay the Lakers and lead the home team to a fourth straight win over the Lakers, but I like LA to keep it close and cover the spread.
NBA Odds: Celtics 104, Lakers 101
BookMaker offers play-by- play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
