Luke Walton, head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, whom, according to NBA games betting odds, are eight-and-a-half-point underdogs versus the Boston Celtics, doesn’t like to stress the historic rivalry between the two franchise. “As much as we like beating Boston and we want to beat Boston, that’s not going to be part of my pregame speech at all,” Walton said, and rightfully so. After all, the Celtics won their particular regular season series in 2016-17 as well as the last three meeting between the two, so, you know, not much of a rivalry, mind you, to speak of.
- Date: Wednesday, 8th November
- Time: 8:10 PM
- Venue: TD Garden
- Online sportsbook odds for fans betting on NBA games:
Lakers +8½ (-110) 210 (-110) +305
Celtics -8½ (-110) 210 (-110) -365
Ball to the wall
To be fair, though, the Lakers are 3-1 SU and 4-0 in their last four games, and their defense currently ranks 7th in the league (in spite of which the total has gone over in their last three straight games). The Lakers’ chief concern is improving rookie Lonzo Ball’s dismal shooting percentage from 29.9% to a number that you can actually say out loud without blushing. Ball is one of just two starters in the league shooting less than 30% from the field, and has the second-lowest true shooting percentage (35.9%) of any rookie since the NBA merged with the ABA. Ball went 1-of-8 from the three-point line in Los Angeles’ 107-102 win over the Grizzlies on Sunday. Meanwhile, Kyle Kuzma, a rookie whose father is probably a reasonable, well-adjusted person, is averaging 15.4 points per game, including 72 points on 29-of-45 shooting in the last four games.
🎥 Kyle Kuzma talks about his relationship with Lonzo Ball, and Brook Lopez's hot streak pic.twitter.com/bObPAieUVw
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 6, 2017
That over streak mentioned above may be due to end; the total has gone under in seven of the Lakers’ last 10 games following a win. The LA team has covered the spread as set by NBA games betting odds in four of their last five against Boston, but has lost 14 of their last 15 versus teams with a winning record.
It’s more than an Irving
The Celtics’ 110-107 win over the Hawks on Monday snapped an eight-game streak of Boston keeping opponents under 100 points (during which period the under went 6-2) as well as an equally lengthy ATS winning stretch. The Celtics remain, nonetheless, arguably the best team in the league with unarguably the best record in the league, 9-2 SU, and going undefeated since October 20th. As a matter of fact, Boston’s NBA finals betting odds are pretty damn good, as in ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives the Celtics a 62.8% chance of reaching the NBA Finals. Boston is 7-0 ATS in their last seven home games playing a team with a losing road record, 16-5 ATS in their last 21 after a win, and 20-7 ATS in their last 27 overall, while the Lakers, 5-2 ATS in their last seven against Eastern Conference teams and 4-0 against the spread as seen on NBA games betting odds in their last four overall.