With the NBA trade deadline Thursday, the top two teams reportedly interested in the services of Anthony Davis will square off as the Boston Celtics (35-19) host the Los Angeles Lakers (27-27) as expected favorites on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
If Davis is not dealt by the deadline, you can expect the Celtics to be extra motivated knowing that they will get an excellent opportunity to make the New Orleans Pelicans an offer for him this summer.
The Lakers reportedly have offered numerous players on their current roster for Davis along with future draft picks, but the Pelicans have yet to accept any deal from them at this point. The trade offers seem to be taking a toll on Los Angeles as well, with LeBron James suffering the worst defeat of his career Tuesday when his team fell 136-94 to the Indiana Pacers.
The Lakers closed as 2.5-point road favorites versus the Pacers and lost for the sixth time in eight games.
Davis staying in New Orleans would be viewed as a win for Boston fans, who already have been busy celebrating a sixth Super Bowl title for the New England Patriots. While there obviously are no guarantees that Davis would end up with the Celtics, it is expected they can offer a better trade package to the Pelicans in the offseason if they just get a chance.
Boston has won 10 of its last 11 games straight up heading into this matchup – going 5-5-1 against the spread during that stretch according to the OddsShark NBA Database. During their current five-game winning streak, the Celtics have averaged 117.6 points while giving up 104.4 points per game, holding their opponents below the century mark three times.
The under has cashed four times in the team’s last six games and in six of the previous nine.
Los Angeles won the most recent meeting with Boston more than a year ago 108-107 on Jan. 23, 2018. The Lakers pulled off that upset of the Celtics as five-point home underdogs and snapped a four-game series skid SU, with the under cashing in each of those losses on the totals at the sportsbooks.
