Celtics vs Lakers Christmas Day Prediction & Player Prop Picks: Jump on JT, Jrue, and Bron in Rivalry Renewal

Today, one of the biggest rivalries in sports will get renewed with a festive twist. In the third of the five NBA Christmas Day games, the Los Angeles Lakers will host the Boston Celtics (5:00 pm ET, ABC/ESPN).

It will be the 373rd all-time meeting between the two storied franchises, but it will be just the fourth to be a part of the Christmas Day calendar.

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Entering today’s showdown at Crypto.com Arena, the Celtics (22-6, 8-6 away) are tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the best record in the NBA. In December, Boston is 8-2, and they have won seven of their last eight games.

This will be the finale of a four-game road swing for the Celtics, who are 2-1 on the trip after responding to an overtime loss to the Warriors last Tuesday by throttling the Kings by 25 and the Clippers by 37.

Can the Lakers (16-14, 10-3 home) spoil Boston’s holiday? Los Angeles does head into the game on a positive note, as they ended a season-worst four-game losing skid with a 129-120 win at Oklahoma City on Saturday.

Celtics vs Lakers Odds

Odds are courtesy of Bovada. If you’re interested in trying them out, we recommend checking out our Bovada review.

Spread

• Boston Celtics -3.5 (-115)
• Los Angeles Lakers +3.5 (-105)

Over/Under

• Over 234.5 (-110)
• Under 234.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Boston Celtics -170
• Los Angeles Lakers +145

Celtics vs Lakers Prediction

Along with holding a 208-164 overall advantage, Boston has had the upper hand in the Celtics-Lakers rivalry in recent years.

In the last ten meetings, Boston is 6-4 against Los Angeles. Last season, they came out on top in overtime in both meetings, winning 122-118 at Crypto.com Arena and 125-121 at TD Garden.

Will that success continue this afternoon? With the way that the Celtics crushed the Kings and the Clippers, it’s certainly hard to bet against them.

Against Sacramento, Boston made 22 threes and shot 52.4% from outside and 55.4% overall from the field, and five players scored 20+ points in the 144-119 win.

Then, in Saturday’s win over the Clippers, the Celtics drilled 25 threes and shot 47.2% from three and 52.1% overall from the field in a 145-108 romp.

Best Player Props for Celtics vs Lakers

All player prop odds listed below are courtesy of Bovada.

Jayson Tatum Over 3.5 Made Threes (+105)

After missing the win over the Kings due to an ankle sprain suffered in the loss to the Warriors, Tatum returned to action against the Clippers. And it was quite the strong return, as he scored 30 points (9 of 16 FG, 5 of 10 3PT, 7 of 9 FT) in 30 minutes to tally his 11th 30+ point game of the season.

Tatum has yet to make four or more threes in consecutive games this season, but given the occasion, I really like the value here.

Jrue Holiday Over 22.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-125)

It’s only fitting to include a Holiday prop here, given that today is a holiday, right?

Along with that touch, it makes a lot of sense to do so, as the Los Angeles native and former UCLA star is coming off a couple of excellent all-around performances.

Against the Kings, he had 21 points (7 of 13 FG, 4 of 6 3PT, 3 of 3 FT), eight rebounds, and ten assists, and he followed that up with 20 points (8 of 12 FG, 4 of 6 3PT), six rebounds, and seven assists against the Clippers.

LeBron James Over 28.5 Points (+105)

LeBron led the way in the skid-stopping win over the Thunder, scoring a season-high 40 points (13 of 22 FG, 5 of 5 3PT, 9 of 9 FT) and adding seven rebounds and seven assists.

Look for the ageless wonder to have another big Christmas Day performance, win or lose.

Last year, he went for 38 points (13 of 23 FG, 12 of 12 FT), six rebounds, and five assists in the Lakers’ loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The year prior, he had 39 points (14 of 25 FG, 3 of 9 3PT, 8 of 9 FT), nine rebounds, and seven assists in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets.

Where to Bet on Celtics vs Lakers and Other NBA Games

Many of the top online sportsbooks offer a wide variety of NBA odds throughout the year.

In addition to being able to bet on 2024 NBA championship odds, you can make daily NBA picks on games all season long, including tonight’s Mavericks vs Spurs matchup in San Antonio.

Also, you can bet on the NBA All-Star Game and the major awards like NBA MVP, NBA Rookie of the Year, and more at most reputable sports betting sites.

There are numerous sports betting sites you can choose from that are good for NBA betting. Here are several books that we have reviewed and highly recommend:

• BetDSI
• BetOnline
• BetUS
• Bookmaker
• Bovada
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.

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