Celtics vs Lakers Betting Odds – Struggling Celtics won’t succeed in Lakerland
NBA Odds: Pick Lakers |
The Celtics vs Lakers betting odds always grabs the attention of all basketball fans but these are two teams heading in different directions right now. Almost in a role reversal of two years ago, the Celtics are having chemistry issues while the Lakers are a smooth machine. Online betting cappers should expect to see the Celtics struggle until they make a trade.
| What: NBA Betting |
| When: Thursday February 18 – 10:30pm EST |
| Where: Staples Center – Los Angeles, CA |
| Key Stat: Celtics just 10-13 in last 23 games. |
The Storyline – Celtics vs Lakers betting odds
The Celtics are in an odd spot. A lot of their recent transactions haven’t panned out, their window of opportunity is closing as their team ages and they need to make a move to get things back on track. At one point this season, the Celtics were 23-5. Since that time, they are just 10-13 and they need to right this ship quickly or they will have a short playoff run.
Meanwhile, the Lakers are rolling. Even without Kobe Bryant in the lineup in a few recent games, they continue to get excellent play from their bench and dominate opponents. The Lakers have won nine of their last 11.
Offensive Matchups – Celtics vs Lakers betting odds breakdown
The Celtics still have the offensive weapons we all know about, but they aren’t working well together. Ray Allen trade rumors, Eddie House criticisms and Glen Davis’ immaturity issues are all contributing to this team’s underachievement.
The Lakers couldn’t be working much better right now. Not only will they get Kobe Bryant back on Thursday, they’ll have a very confident team around him. The Lakers had five scorers in double-figures on Tuesday, including 27 points and 10 rebounds from Shannon Brown. At home, this is a tough team to stop.
Betting Edge: Lakers
Defensive Matchups – Celtics vs Lakers betting odds
While the Celtics have crumbled on the offensive end, they still play an excellent brand of defense. They’ll be in tough on Thursday against the Lakers, but they are capable of keeping this game in the low 90’s as they did when the two teams met up right before the All-Star Break.
The Lakers defense isn’t great, but it is a bit underrated. They still have a number of big men inside such as Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, and they have a shutdown perimeter defender in Ron Artest. This is a very versatile team that is ready for almost any situation.
Betting Edge: Celtics
Notable Injuries – Celtics vs Lakers betting odds
Keep an eye on guard Kobe Bryant, who has missed a few games recently – including the All-Star Game – with an ankle injury. He is expected to play on Thursday but sportsbook odds makers will keep the line off until they know for sure.
Betting Edge: Celtics
Betting Prediction – Celtics vs Lakers betting odds breakdown
Sports betting cappers should stay away from the Celtics until they make a move. Whether it is trading Ray Allen, Glen Davis, Rasheed Wallace or Eddie House, the Celtics need to make a move to shakeup the locker room.
Winning at the Staples Center is too tall an order for this team right now.
CRAIG’s Pick: Lakers
