Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 02/22/26

Starting off their 4-game West coast road trip with a big win in Golden State did wonders for the confidence of the Celtics, who now face their all-time rivals the Lakers. Jaylen Brown absolutely dominated the Warriors with 23 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists, I’m surprised he isn’t getting more love in the MVP conversation these days. The Celtics are 7-1 SU in 8 games going into Sunday, they’ve also won 4 of 5 on the road and in head-to-head meetings they’re 5-2 SU in 7 played, including a 126-105 triumph at home back in early December. The only concern when backing this team is the three-point shot, but with the Lakers ranking only 22nd in opponent three-point percentage this season, that shouldn’t be an issue here.

The Lakers will take the underdog roll with open hands here, as they finally have their big 3 back and playing together. In 11 games with Doncic, Reaves and LeBron they have an 8-3 SU record which does look elite on paper. However, the defense is what’s concerning if you’re a supporter of this team. Having a high scoring trio like that masks a lot of deficiencies they have on the other end, we saw exactly that in their first game after the break when Doncic went nuclear and they took down the Clippers 125-122. Can they do the same against Boston? The Celtics are a much more consistent defensive unit, in order to beat them you almost have to play a perfect game.

As good as the Lakers have looked with their trio of stars, I am just not able to trust them against elite opposition. Boston has done it on both ends consistently, maybe even better on the road than at home this season. They’re 18-10 ATS in away games and also have the superior head-to-head record. Containing Luka could be problematic, but then again the Lakers are in the same boat with Jaylen Brown. I’ll take the men in green here.

Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers Predictions: Celtics -2 is available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.