Filip Tomic
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The NBA’s most historic rivalry gets another chapter tonight as the Los Angeles Lakers head to Boston to take on the Celtics, hoping to avoid losing their 3rd game in a row. Doing a Lakers vs Celtics Same Game Parlay for a game like this feels like a must, and I have opted for 3 selections in this SGP.
You can also find out our NBA picks for the rest of Thursday’s games, but for now let’s get into my Same Game Parlay for this mega matchup.
Jayson Tatum Over 27.5 points (-120)
LeBron James 2+ made threes (-156)
Kristaps Porzingis Over 7.5 rebounds (-111)
Same Game Parlay odds: +423
Jayson Tatum Over 27.5 points (-120)
Jayson Tatum has cleared this line in 2 consecutive games against the Pelicans and Pacers, both at home. In general, the month of January was very productive for him – he was at almost 27 points per game, on over 47% from the field and 40% from 3. His stats in head-to-head meetings with the Lakers are also impressive. He has scored 30+ points in the last 3 meetings at TD Garden, while overall in the last 10 against Los Angeles he is averaging 28.8 per game and has shot 50% or better in 6 of those games. Taking on a Lakers defense that has allowed opponents to score 130+ in 4 games in a row, I think Tatum should have a big night scoring the basketball.
Read our full LA Lakers vs Boston Celtics predictions
LeBron James 2+ made threes (-156)
LeBron James enters Thursday’s game riding a streak of 7 games in a row of at least 2 threes made. Although his efficiency and makes per game aren’t as high as in December, he really caught fire towards the end of January. The last 5 Lakers games are averaging over 260 points, so there’s a pretty good chance that this game turns into a shootout between the 2 teams. That should work in LeBron’s favor, as he doesn’t play much defense at this point in his career. Over his last 10 meetings with the Celtics, he has cleared this line a total of 7 times and has shot 40% or better from 3-point land in 6 of those. Without a productive night from the King, I don’t think the Lakers stand much of a chance.
Kristaps Porzingis Over 7.5 rebounds (-111)
Kristaps Porzingis made a triumphant return to the Celtics’ lineup after missing the last 2 games against the Pacers and Pelicans. Indiana didn’t have an answer for him, as he finished with 17 points and 12 boards. He is one of the rare players in the NBA that has the physical ability to match up with Anthony Davis. In the last 10 meetings against him, he is averaging 7.7 rebounds per game, clearing this line in 3 straight.
The Lakers are getting absolutely destroyed on the boards over their last 3 games, allowing opponents to grab 60.3 per game, which is quite the increase from their season average of 51.1. We still don’t know the status of Al Horford ahead of this game, so Porzingis is pretty much the only reliable big man the Celtics will have in this matchup. I wouldn’t be surprised if Porzingis finished with double-digit boards, but let’s go for a slightly safer option to land our Lakers vs Celtics Same Game Parlay.
