We get treated to a matchup of two of the NBA Finals betting favorites when the Boston Celtics visit the Los Angeles Clippers Monday night.
The C's own the NBA’s best record at 21-6 thanks to their dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. While Los Angeles' 15-13 record may not be a standout, with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George back on the court and playing meaningful minutes it is once again a true contender in the Western Conference.
Can Boston bounce back after a disappointing performance against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night, or does L.A. have value as a home underdog? I break down the numbers and bring you my best bet in my NBA betting picks and predictions for the Celtics vs. Clippers on December 12.
Celtics vs Clippers best odds
Celtics vs Clippers picks and predictions
The Boston Celtics are killing it this season, with their NBA-best 21-6 record highlighted by their NBA-best offensive rating led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. However, Tatum may be hitting a bit of an early-season lull.
That can be expected in a long NBA campaign that hasn’t even hit Christmas Day. It doesn’t help that the Celtics are in the middle of a stretch of games that includes both a string of strong defensive teams and a west coast road trip.
Tatum is among the betting favorites to win his first NBA MVP Award thanks in part to his 30 points per game, but he has only hit 30 points once in his last five games, shooting just 40.8% from the floor and averaging just 23.4 points over that stretch.
That includes games against solid defensive teams like the Heat, Raptors, and Suns — and the matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers won't get any easier.
L.A. has navigated some early season injuries, and while the team will still be cautious with the likes of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, both superstars are starting to see a ramp up in minutes, and that can only help a defense that already is one of the best in the NBA.
The Clippers rank fifth in defensive rating and fourth in opponent effective goal percentage, housing a plethora of players like Leonard and George they can throw at Tatum.
Tatum is also coming off a tough shooting night on national television Sunday night against the Warriors where he went just 6-for-21.
My best bet: Jayson Tatum Under 29.5 points (-120)
Looking to do some NBA betting? Here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New users at FanDuel can get a no-sweat first bet of up to $1,000! Sign Up Now
B) New users at DraftKings can bet $5 and get $150 in free bets! Sign Up Now
*Eligible USA locations only. Also, check out our full list of best sportsbook promotions for 2022.
Celtics vs Clippers spread analysis
The Clippers opened this NBA matchup as 3.5-point home underdogs and that’s where they remain as of Monday afternoon. The question is whether that’s enough points to consider taking L.A. as a home pup.
This is a classic matchup of offense vs. defense. The Celtics lead the NBA in offensive rating while the Clippers are fourth in defensive rating. The thing is, the Clips have done a lot of their work this season without their two best players and defenders Leonard and George.
Los Angeles returns home after an uninspiring 2-2 east coast road trip that included losses to the Magic and Heat. They closed the trip with a solid win over the Wizards where both Leonard and George logged over 30 minutes of game time.
Leonard is playing just his ninth game of the season, and while his stats don’t pop quite yet, you can tell just how much he impacts the game for a Clippers team that is 6-2 with him on the floor.
Meanwhile, the C's close a six-game road trip with back-to-back games in Los Angeles against the Clippers tonight and the Lakers tomorrow. They are 21-6 overall but 3-2 in their last five games with some hot-and-cold results. Boston was great against the Suns but looked lethargic in a Finals rematch against the Golden State Warriors Saturday night.
Much of the Celtics' success has come from their long-range shooting. They lead the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage but L.A. has a solid perimeter defense and ranks 10th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage.
If Boston has one glaring flaw, it’s rebounding. Obviously, the injury to Robert Williams has hurt with the team ranking 19th in rebounding percentage. The Clippers rank 12th and their bigs like Leonard, George, and Ivica Zubac could push around the C’s in this one.
With the re-emergence of their star players and the edge on the glass, I’d lean toward taking the points with the Clips as home dogs.
Celtics vs Clippers Over/Under analysis
The total for this matchup hit the board at 226 and the early money has come in on the Under taking the number down to 224.5. I’d have to agree with the early money.
The Celtics’ offense has been incredible this season but we have seen some hiccups of late. Since the start of December, the team ranks a much more mediocre 20th in field goal percentage and 15th in scoring offense, putting up 113.4 ppg over five games this month. And now they go against arguably the best defense they have faced during that stretch..
But while Boston's offense gets most of the headlines, the defense hasn’t been too shabby either, coming in at eighth when it comes to defensive rating. It should match up well against an L.A. team that ranks 28th in offensive rating and 17th in effective field goal percentage.
Mix in two teams who rank in the bottom half of the league when it comes to pace of play and I’d lean Under here.
Celtics vs Clippers betting trend to know
The Under is 4-0 in the Celtics’ last four games overall and 5-1 in the Clippers’ last six games vs. a team with a winning percentage above .600. Find more NBA betting trends for Celtics vs. Clippers.
Celtics vs Clippers game info
| Location: | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date: | Monday, December 12, 2022 |
| Tip-off: | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NBA TV |
