One of the most storied rivalries in all of sports, not just the NBA, takes the court tonight with the Boston Celtics hosting the Los Angeles Lakers. With such a great matchup on deck, having it featured as a prime time game on ABC makes it even more exciting, as does our Lakers vs. Celtics predictions.

That also means a best bet from our Lakers vs. Celtics picks, which will be paired with the new $1,500 BetMGM Sportsbook new user bonus.

 

 

 

Lakers vs. Celtics Predictions for NBA on ABC, 3/8

Playing in prime time and on national TV are no strangers to the Lakers and Celtics, especially given that they were both part of the NBA on TNT doubleheader on Thursday night. Those were both home games for these teams, which means that it’s LeBron James, Luka Doncic and company making the long trip to TD Garden.

Although it’s a cross-country travel situation for LA, this is still a matchup that very well may be an NBA Finals preview. That’s something both a ton of fans and the league would love, and with each of them sitting as one of the best seeds in their respective conferences, it’s very much in the realm of possibility.

It’s also not the first time that we’ve seen these historic rivals meet - they did so about a month and half ago. That was one of the most impressive victories for the Lakers, as they crushed Boston by 21 points! Having a recent matchup provides us with some data to look back on for our Lakers vs. Celtics predictions tonight.

 

 

 

Los Angeles Lakers: The King Reigns Supreme

Outside of the interaction with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on Thursday night, all the talk has been about the dominance of the Lakers and their climb to the #2 seed in the Western Conference. While the acquisition of Luka Doncic has done a lot for that (they’re 8-2 with him in the lineup), the King still reigns supreme.

For the 41st time in his career, LeBron was named the player of the month in February. After eclipsing 50,000 career combined points, he’s now almost 6,000 ahead of the next-closest player (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Although it looks like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the MVP shoe-in, some still feel that LeBron remains the best in the game.

 

 

 

Boston Celtics: Lurking In The Shadows

While the Lakers have climbed to the #2 seed in the Western Conference, the Celtics have been comfortably sitting there in the Eastern Conference. On the same night LA got their eight straight win on Thursday, Boston was busy blowing out the Philadelphia 76ers by 18 points. Remaining at home for tonight, of course they’re significantly favored.

The Lakers vs. Celtics odds are a great illustration of why Boston remains the title favorites, despite the Cleveland Cavaliers incredible season. They’re lurking behind them in the sense that while the gap is significant, they also aren’t at risk of falling and are just waiting for their opportunity to pounce - the postseason.

 

 

 

Lakers vs. Celtics Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines

Even though LA won this matchup earlier this year, with Boston now at home, they’re still the clear favorites according to the latest Lakers vs. Celtics odds at BetMGM Sportsbook:

 

 

 

Lakers vs. Celtics Best Bet: Luka Doncic Over 7.5 Rebounds (-115 at BetMGM Sportsbook)

Before we dive into the best bet from our Lakers vs. Celtics predictions, if you want to stick with the standard markets, we’d have to back LA in this spot. They were 6.5-point underdogs when they met in January, and we already noted that impressive blowout win for the Lakers.

Similarly, LA has been far superior in terms of covering the spread this season, as they have the fourth-best record in that regard. Beyond that, an under could be considered for your Lakers vs. Celtics picks, as both LA and Boston are in the top six in terms of record for bettors that back the under in their games.

Having said all that, we’re hoping for an epic back-and-forth rivalry, so we’re going to stick with the player prop markets. In that regard, we’re targeting Luka Doncic, also known as a nightly triple-double threat. With no more Anthony Davis in the mix, his rebounding prowess is even more relied upon.

It may not be the first stat fans think of when it comes to Luka Doncic, but it’s where he can exploit Boston. The Celtics rank inside the top five in nearly every significant team statistic this season other than opponent rebounding. It’s far from awful, but only being middle-of-the-pack in that respect is awful by their lofty standards everywhere else.

Luka having been in the Western Conference with the Dallas Mavericks, he doesn't have a ton of games against Boston, but in his last two games against them, he recorded double-digit rebounds. Even a back-up center Andre Drummond recorded 10 rebounds against the Celtics on Thursday night.

It was what he was missing for a triple-double threat that same night, and we see that being where he improves tonight. So, the best bet from our Lakers vs. Celtics predictions is Luka Doncic over 7.5 rebounds (-115 at BetMGM Sportsbook).

 

 

 

Lakers vs. Celtics Injury Report & Latest News

With this classic rivalry, we want to see the best of the best on the court. Boston has the significant concerns for that to be the case, as Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday have been missing from the court. Even Jaylen Brown and Al Horford missed the game against the 76ers. As for Lakers injury news, Markieff Morris missed Thursday’s game, and LA would love to see Rui Hachimura return sooner rather than later.

 

 

 

How To Bet On Lakers vs. Celtics at BetMGM Sportsbook & Claim Your $1,500 Bonus With Promo Code ALARM

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