The Boston Celtics showed hints of being a dominant team early in the season but inconsistency was an issue. The Celtics finally seem to be putting things together, as they have found a great groove over the past couple of weeks. Boston would love to keep it going and move up the standings in the Eastern Conference, and it has a winnable game next time out against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers took a nosedive without the service of superstar LeBron James for multiple weeks and now are hoping to play well enough down the stretch to get into the playoffs in the West. Los Angeles has James back so it should start winning more games but this is still a tough test in which the team will be the underdog in NBA gambling.
This NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics will be held at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 7th, 2019. The game will be nationally televised on TNT.
We'll have NBA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2019 NBA season.
Odds Analysis
The Lakers have a record of 27-26 on the season. They were the No. 4 seed in the West when James went down with an injury but have dropped down to No. 10 in the standings. Los Angeles is within striking distance of the Clippers for the final playoff spot but needs to pick up the pace in order to claim it. The Lakers would much rather finish as the No. 7 seed or higher to avoid the Warriors in the first round.
The Celtics have a mark of 34-19 on the year. They have zoomed up to the No. 3 seed in the East of late but it’s still a tight race with a talented 76ers team. Boston has a ways to go to catch either the Raptors or Bucks ahead of them. Boston has gone 22-6 at home this year and will be favored to keep that up in NBA gambling.
Injury Report
James finally returned to the court last week and helped the Lakers pick up a much-needed overtime win over the Clippers. He had 24 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in the contest, immediately providing the team with a huge boost. However, James sat again the next time out against the Warriors due to soreness. It is imperative to see how he is feeling for this game, as it comes only two nights after the Lakers play in Indiana.
James is averaging 27.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game on the season. His presence gives Los Angeles a chance in any game the team plays because he is still that dominant of a player as he enters his mid-30s.
Key Stat
9. That’s the number of victories for the Celtics in their past 10 games, including four wins in a row. Boston is coming off a solid home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder and has also grabbed victories over the Raptors, Nets and Heat of late.
The Celtics’ lone loss in their past 10 games came against the defending champion Warriors, and that contest came down to the wire. Boston was the preseason favorite in the Eastern Conference and is finally beginning to play up to that standard.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Lakers are a distinctly different team when James is on the floor, which should allow them to stay closer to Boston. However, the Celtics have much better balance and are also at home, so they are the clear favorites.
Boston is the pick to win this game. Keep an eye on the spread to see which team makes more sense to pick to cover in NBA betting. There is a lot of speculation that the Lakers could be trading for Pelicans star Anthony Davis. If that happens and Los Angeles ships out a bunch of players, obviously that would also have a large effect on the spread, so keep an eye on the trade talk.
NBA ATS Pick: Boston Celtics 117, Los Angeles Lakers 110
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