The Los Angeles Lakers arrive in Boston to face the Boston Celtics this Friday night in a classic NBA rivalry game. Both teams have won four of their last five games and will try to get another important win in this matchup from TD Garden. Before the game tips off, you can keep reading to get my Lakers vs Celtics prediction.
Our Lakers vs Celtics Pick
Pick: Celtics -6.5
Confidence: ★★★★☆
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics
- Date & Time: Friday, December 5, 2025, 7:00 PM ET
- Venue: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
- Broadcast: Prime Video
Key Storylines
- The Celtics are the favorites at home, but there are questions about their roster coming into this game. Jayson Tatum is out for the foreseeable future with a torn Achilles, while Jaylen Brown missed Thursday's game due to illness and is questionable for this contest. If Boston is without its top two scorers here, that could severely impact their performance.
- The Lakers enter riding a wave of strong performances. Their recent 123–120 win over Toronto came via a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Rui Hachimura, demonstrating the team’s depth and poise under pressure. Austin Reaves has emerged as a legitimate secondary scoring and playmaking option. But Luka Doncic may not compete tonight after the birth of his child in Slovenia on Thursday.
- Both teams face a back-to-back situation here. The Celtics are coming off a blowout win the previous night against the Washington Wizards, while the Lakers go to Boston after playing in Canada on Thursday. With fatigue and absences in the mix for both teams, this game will be an interesting one.
- LeBron James' incredible streak of scoring 10 points or more in games came to an end last night against the Raptors. It will be interesting to see how he impacts tonight's game against the Celtics.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
- This is the first meeting between the Lakers and Celtics this season.
- The Lakers are 14-7 against the spread this season.
- Boston is 12-10 against the spread entering this game.
- The Lakers have gone over the total 15 times in 21 games.
- The under has cashed 12 times in 22 Celtics games.
Best Player Props to Watch
Player | Prop |
|---|
Derrick White (Celtics) | Over 16.5 Points |
Austin Reaves (Lakers) | Under 8.5 Assists |
Lakers vs Celtics Model Projection
Score Projection: Lakers 114 – Celtics 123
Win Probability: Lakers 38%, Celtics 62%
Final Thoughts
I am expecting the Celtics to win and cover the spread at home in this contest. The Lakers could be without Doncic again in this game, while the demands of playing a back-to-back in two different countries is hard on any team. I'll take Boston to get a fourth straight win here in a game between two teams with postseason aspirations this year.
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