Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers 12/7/21: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Live Stream

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers Matchup Preview (12/7/21)

Another chapter in one of the most iconic rivalries in sports takes place on Tuesday, December 7th. The Boston Celtics will go from coast-to-coast to attempt to steal a win on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers. Neither team can say that their season has gone smooth; in fact, it has been the exact opposite. The Lakers and Celtics have battled injuries, including LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. Additionally, these two teams are seriously struggling to find any natural chemistry. The Lakers always had an uphill battle with chemistry and potentially egos: there are three No. 1 overall picks on their roster and several other players with a ton of accolades. It is hard to imagine this working out, but if LeBron can again turn into Superman and stay healthy, then perhaps their season will be saved. Boston has been reasonably solid on defense but could not get anything going offensively until recently. This game should be pretty fast-paced as the Lakers are third in PACE, and Boston has also been playing faster in the past few games.

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers Betting Odds

I will be targeting the point total in this matchup. The Celtics are coming off two games with monstrous point totals, and neither of the games went into overtime. Additionally, the Lakers have hit the over in 62.5% of their games, tied for the league’s best record on the point total. That will be my play for this game unless the point total is set at an impossibly high amount.

TV Schedule

Date: 12/7/21
Time: 10:00 PM ET
Arena: Staples Center – Los Angeles, CA
Channel: TNT

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Boston Celtics Starting Lineup

PG: Marcus Smart
SG: Jaylen Brown
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Robert Williams III
C: Al Horford

Boston Celtics Analysis

The Celtics are one of the weirdest teams in the NBA: on December 1st, they squeaked out a narrow victory over the Sixers by a score of 88-87. Then, on December 4th, they dropped 145 points in a game that did not even go into overtime. Even the game before, they had 130 points. On the season, Boston ranks just outside the top ten in points per game and offensive efficiency, while its shooting percentages are quite a bit worse. The Celtics rank 24th in eFG% (effective field goal percentage) and 20th in 3P% (three-point percentage) in 2021-22, so these massive scoring outbursts bring even more confusion. Perhaps they have figured some things out on that end of the floor since Jayson Tatum and Dennis Schroder have had a couple of big games recently, but it is too early to tell. These past two games have been the largest point totals for the Celtics in non-overtime games this season, so maybe this is a tipping point for their offense?

Los Angeles Lakers Starting Lineup

PG: Russell Westbrook
SG: Talen Horton-Tucker
SF: LeBron James
PF: Anthony Davis
C: Dwight Howard

Los Angeles Lakers Analysis

Can be the Lakers be better at full health, or will we continue to see an inconsistent team riddled with flaws? They currently sit at eighth in the Western Conference, which does not give them a lot of wiggle room to have any more significant lapses. LeBron will also need to stay healthy but has proved time and time again that anything can happen when he is on the floor. James has averaged 31.3 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds in his past four games.

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers Daily Fantasy Picks

Dwight Howard has had a few solid performances in a row, getting more consistent minutes for this Lakers team. It is clear that Howard is playing better than DeAndre Jordan and should thus be rewarded for this improved play. Frank Vogel did just that last Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers, which was his first start of the year for the Lake Show. Howard has averaged nine points, nine rebounds, one assist, and 1.5 blocks and steals in his past two games. These are far from being “out of this world” numbers, but they are a good stepping stone to a more consistent role for a Lakers squad that has struggled with total team rebounding percentage, ranking 19th in the NBA. While Los Angeles ranks much higher in total rebounds per game, that only speaks to its pace of play, where it ranks third in PACE. Howard should be deployed in a utility role for your DFS lineup because he is probably still dirt cheap and should be getting a significant increase in minutes per game.

A fear that many C’s fans had has come true: Jaylen Brown has reaggravated the hamstring injury that kept him out for several weeks. While Brown could certainly play in this game, it is unlikely that his role will be significant on the offensive end of the floor. For that reason, I would turn towards the next best available scorer outside of Jayson Tatum for the Celtics (Dennis Schroder) especially considering that they will be playing against a team that is third in PACE this season. Essentially, there will be more possessions and opportunities for Dennis Schroder to get shots up because they will have to keep up with the Lakers. Regardless of whether or not Schroder draws the start, he will be the best bang for your buck in DFS in this matchup against a fast-paced Lakers team that gives up a lot of offense to opposing guards.