NBA

Clippers at Celtics Preview

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

By Kevin Rogers
VegasInsider.com

Straight Up (SU), Against the Spread (ATS)

Betting Odds Breakdown

Boston opened as a 1.5-point home favorite with a total of 227.

Eye Test

The Clippers (37-17) enter tonight's action four games behind the Lakers for first place in the Pacific division. The Clips have an opportunity to tie the Nuggets for the second-best record in the Western Conference with a victory tonight, as L.A. closes out a four-game road swing after losing at Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

The Celtics (37-16) saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end in Tuesday's 116-105 defeat at Houston. Boston stands two games back of Toronto for the top spot in the Atlantic division after the Raptors had their 15-game hot streak snapped last night at Brooklyn. The Celtics are currently the third seed in the Eastern Conference behind Milwaukee and Toronto, while sitting one game behind the pace of their 2017-18 record at this point of the season when they finished 55-27.

Current Form

Los Angeles has won 10 of the past 14 games, in spite of losing twice in the last three games at Minnesota and Philadelphia. Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 30 points on Tuesday, but Paul George shot 3-of-15 from the floor and scored only 11 points in the 110-103 loss as one-point underdogs. The Clippers slipped to 15-12 on the road, but they did start the season 1-4 away from Staples Center.

The Celtics are still playing solid basketball in spite of the nine-point setback to the Rockets on Tuesday as Boston has won 10 of the past 12 games since a three-game skid in mid-January. In this span, the Celtics have won six consecutive games at TD Garden, as three of those victories are against teams with winning records, including the Lakers, 76ers, and Grizzlies.

Head-to-Head

Los Angeles has captured each of the past four meetings with Boston, including a 107-104 overtime triumph on November 20 at Staples Center. The Celtics grabbed the cover as seven-point underdogs, in spite of blowing a six-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Celtics' guard Kemba Walker struggled from the floor by shooting 4-of-17 and scored 13 points, while Boston converted only 12-of-45 three-point attempts (27%). In L.A.'s most recent trip to Beantown last February, the Clippers stunned the Celtics, 129-119 as they erased a 28-point deficit to cash outright as 11.5-point underdogs.

Inside the Stats (Home/Away)

Points Per Game:
L.A. Clippers 115.6 (114.0)
Boston 112.6 (115.9)

Points Allowed:
L.A. Clippers 109.7 (111.4)
Boston 105.7 (105.9)

Home-Away Records

-- L.A. Clippers 15-12 SU, 13-14 ATS
-- Boston 22-5 SU, 16-10-1 ATS

Situational (Vs. Non-Conference)

The Clippers continue to own a strong record against the Eastern Conference by posting a 16-5 SU and 14-7 ATS mark. Los Angeles has won six of 10 road games against Eastern opponents, as the Clippers played without both Leonard and George in only one of those losses at Atlanta on January 22.

The Celtics are 12-7 SU and 11-8 against Western foes this season, including a 7-2 SU and 6-3 ATS mark at TD Garden. The two losses came to Phoenix, 123-119 on January 18 as four-point favorites, and to San Antonio on January 8 in a 129-114 setback as seven-point chalk.

Score Projection

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Betcha Didn’t Know

Los Angeles has dropped consecutive games only once this season, coming in mid-November to the Rockets and Pelicans. The Clippers are 15-1 off a loss, while being listed as an underdog off a defeat for only the second time (beat Lakers on Christmas in this role).

VI Prediction Tool

The VegasInsider.com Prediction resource gives an edge to either team in eight specific categories listed above and there are instances where both clubs receive a positive edge (

). Depending on how you weigh the below factors could provide more reason to fade or follow those teams in your wagers.

VI Edge Predictions

Categories	Los Angeles Clippers	Boston Celtics
Eye Test		-
Current Form	-
Head-to-Head		-
Inside the Stats	-
Home-Away	-
Situational		-
Score Projection	-
Betcha Didn't Know		-
Expert Picks	-	-

Total Talk (Over-Under)

L.A. Clippers: 25-28-1 (Away, 15-12 Under)
Boston: 23-30 (Home, 14-13 Under)

The Clippers haven't cashed three consecutive 'unders' since mid-November as L.A. is coming off 'unders' against Cleveland and Philadelphia. L.A. is on a 5-2 'under' run in its last seven road games.

The Celtics have hit the 'under' in four of the past five contests at TD Garden, while connecting on the 'under' in five of the last seven games on totals below 230.