Los Angeles Lakers vs Boston Celtics Prediction, Preview and Odds - 12/05/2025

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Friday, December 5, 2025

Venue:  TD Garden, Boston, MA

Where to Watch:  Prime Video

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Lakers +6.5, Celtics -6.5; Over/Under:  223.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Lakers +6.5, Celtics -6.5; Over/Under:  223.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Lakers +6.5, Celtics -6.5; Over/Under:  223.5 points

Los Angeles Lakers:  15-5 (1st place, Pacific Division)

Boston Celtics:  12-9 (3rd place, Atlantic Division)

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Los Angeles Lakers:  8-2 last 10

Boston Celtics:  7-3 last 10

The Lakers are entering this game with a 15-5 record overall this season and they are 8-2 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Phoenix Suns, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the Toronto Raptors still to be played on Thursday night. In their game against the Suns, Luka Dončić led the team in points in that game with 38 while Austin Reaves was next on the team with 16 points. Luka Dončić led the team in assists in that game with 5 while Luka Dončić led the team in rebounds with 11. They were 51.2% from the field, 39.4% from 3-point range, and 86.7% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 119.1 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 115.8 PPG against them. The Lakers have an ATS record of 13-7 this season and their O/U record is 14-6.

The Celtics are entering this game with a 12-9 record overall this season and they are 7-4 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 2 game winning streak with wins coming against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the Washington Wizards still to be played on Thursday night. In their game against the Knicks, Jaylen Brown led the team in points in that game with 42 while Derrick White was next on the team with 22 points. Derrick White led the team in assists in that game with 5 while Jordan Walsh, Neemias Queta, and Josh Minott each led the team in rebounds with 6. They were 56.3% from the field, 32.5% from 3-point range, and 85.7% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 115.3 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 111.2 PPG against them. The Celtics have an ATS record of 11-10 this season and their O/U record is 9-12.

The current betting odds have the Celtics listed as a 6.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Celtics have looked good in their games this season with their 12-9 record overall which has them in the top half of the East. They have looked a lot better on their home court too with their 7-4 home record this year. Meanwhile, the Lakers have looked great in their games this season with their 15-5 record overall which has them right near the top of the West with one of the best records in the NBA. They have been a great road team too with their 8-2 road record this season. The Lakers are off a loss to the Suns in their last one, but they have been rolling lately with their 8-2 record in their last 10 games. They just got LeBron back too so they are only going to get better, but they aren't in a great situation here. They are on the road on a back-to-back here with a really tough game against a good Raptors team, and Doncic is going to miss the Raptors game so he could be out for this one too. The Celtics are also on a back-to-back here with a road game the night before, but they are playing against one of the worst teams in the NBA in the Wizards so they are going to be more focused on this game of the back-to-back. The Celtics have also been getting hot lately as they are 7-3 in their last 10 games. The Celtics have been really tough to beat at home over the last few years and they can take advantage of the Lakers in a bad situation here. The best way to place a bet here is on the Celtics to cover the spread in this game. 

Lakers Celtics Prediction:  Our NBA Pick for Friday, December 5, 2025 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Celtics 125 Lakers 115.

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Los Angeles Lakers: 55-26 ATS when the total is 220 to 229.5. 40-27 ATS versus good teams - outscoring their opponents by 3+ points/game. 31-20 UNDER when playing against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51% to 60%). 

Boston Celtics: 4-12 ATS when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 70%). 0-4 ATS on Friday nights. 32-24 UNDER as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points. 

Los Angeles Lakers:  L. Doncic (PG) Out - Personal. M. Smart (PG) Out - Back.

Boston Celtics:  J. Brown (SF) Out - Illness. J. Tatum (PF) Out - Achilles.

"I communicated to him before LeBron came back that there were certain things that he needed to be able to do consistently to play before LeBron came back, after LeBron came back, and that there was potentially gonna be a numbers crunch because we probably were gonna play a nine-man rotation and that was just the reality. Having said that, it doesn’t mean that he’s not gonna be back in the rotation at some point, whether we’re healthy or whether we’re missing a couple guys. When you’re winning games, it’s hard to re-do the rotation mid-winning streak... I certainly have empathy for him and it’s not an easy situation to be in as a coach and certainly not a fun situation for him to be in as a player." - JJ Redick on Jarred Vanderbilt getting less playing time. 

“I struggle with that, to be honest with you. I think everyone has a different definition of fun, and you have to find one as a team. I think fun’s a cop-out sometimes when things aren’t going well. Everyone likes to say, ‘Well, let’s just have fun.’ Well, what does that mean, you know? So you have to define what fun looks like as a team, and you have to go after that. But that phrase can be a cop-out sometimes. So as you get older, kid, don’t use it. You know? ‘I just want to have fun.’ Well, what does that mean?”​ - Joe Mazzulla on having fun. 

PG Gabe Vincent

SG Austin Reaves

SF Rui Hachimura

PF LeBron James

C Deandre Ayton

PG Payton Pritchard

SG Derrick White 

SF Sam Hauser

PF Jordan Walsh

C Neemias Queta

PPG: Luka Doncic (35.3)

APG: Luka Doncic (8.9)

Reb/G: Luka Doncic (8.9)

PPG: Jaylen Brown (29)

APG: Derrick White (5.1)

Reb/G: Neemias Queta (8.4)

Coaches:

Los Angeles Lakers: JJ Redick (2nd season)

Boston Celtics: Joe Mazzulla (4th season)