NBA 2022/23, on Wednesday, 14.12.2022
In the United States, the feud between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics is also called “The greatest rivalry in basketball”. I will go into the exact reasons for this designation in more detail below.
However, the main focus of my Lakers Celtics forecast is, of course, the game itself as well as any special feature worth mentioning that could lead to “betting success” at the leading sports betting providers …
The Lakers have just ended their six-game away series with a narrow 124-117 win over the Pistons. Judging by the quality of the opponent, however, the win was far too close. But at least one player caused a stir again: Anthony Davis.
With 34 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists, “The Brow” kept the Bad Boys busy under the basket. He was supported by LeBron James, who also scored 35 points.
But Davis would be more suitable for a player bet tonight. AD has consistently scored more than 30 points in four of his last five games – only in the game against the Cavs did he fail to exceed that mark. But there he also had to go out after only one quarter …
With Davis, James and Schröder all fit and well, there should be plenty of points against the Celtics. Especially since the German has finally recovered from his long injury, the trio is harmonising better and better on the floor.
Nevertheless, the defence remains the big problem for the purple and gold. In fact, it is one of the main reasons why the Californians are only one of four teams in the Western Conference with a negative record (11-15).
The team’s leaders also seem to see a need for action. In order to finally give the defence the stability it needs, there has been a lot of wild speculation about the signings of Bojan Bogdanovic and Jae Crowder.
It is not entirely clear at the moment whether Los Angeles will strengthen again. In my Lakers Celtics tip, meanwhile, there is no way around an entertaining evening of basketball in which many points seem to be pre-programmed.
This is also indicated by a few, but valid clues that do not tolerate any contradiction. For example, the C’s with a net rating of 123.7 and the Californians with 120.7 are the two best offensive teams in the entire league according to the NBA statistics page.
Furthermore, both sides can draw from a full complement of players for once. Tonight, both the Lakers and the Celtics – with the possible exception of Al Horford – have all their superstars in the starting line-up.
Two of the last three head-to-head matchups have produced more than 238 total points, underscoring both the offensive-friendly nature of this pairing and the intensity with which it’s always played out.
Lakers vs. Celtics is perhaps the greatest rivalry in basketball, as mentioned earlier.
No other two teams have met more times in the NBA Finals (12). What adds extra heat to the feud this year is the fact that both sides share first place in the history books with 17 championships won between them.
The provider Bet365 is a reliable and reputable contact when it comes to player betting. But before I place one on Anthony Davis’ performance, one on Boston’s Jayson Tatum might be more worthwhile.
Because the Californian defence is – as already mentioned – much easier to overplay.
Moreover, it was Tatum, of all people, who was able to outscore both Davis (31) and James (23) in terms of points with 37 points in his penultimate appearance against the Californians in November 2021.
Meanwhile, the bookmakers are – of course – assuming a Celtics win.
After all, the Bostonians lead the entire NBA with (21-6), so the favourite odds of currently 1.58 are only the logical consequence of their current playing superiority.
The purple and gold team, on the other hand, is priced at around 2.23 and – given their current strong starting five – has a real chance of success.
Conclusion: The best and second-best offences in the NBA meet. On the other hand, their respective defenses – especially the Lakers’ – are noticeably worse, so an entertaining evening of basketball seems inevitable.
Tonight, I expect this pairing to produce more points than it has in many years. The reason for this optimism is also easy to guess.
After all, rarely have the best superstars from both sides faced each other healthy and in top form on the same night. I expect the next 30-point performance from Anthony Davis in particular.
My Lakers Celtics tip: Over 228.5 points.
