With the sports calendar packed on the first Saturday of the new year, bettors are treated to a loaded slate across the NBA, NHL and NFL — but all roads lead to Southern California for a marquee showdown under the lights. Tonight’s card offers no shortage of intrigue, value and contrasting motivations across leagues. Here is tonight’s best bet brought to you by BetOnline.ag. Click here to join. All new players get a 50% welcome bonus and up to $250 in free bets.
Two of the NBA’s hottest teams collide in primetime as the Boston Celtics (21-12) take on the Los Angeles Clippers (12-21) at Intuit Dome.
Los Angeles enters tonight’s matchup looking to extend its win streak to seven, while Boston comes in having won six of its last seven. These two teams haven’t been squeaking out victories — they’ve been dominating the opposition. During their respective stretches, Los Angeles owns an average margin of victory of 20.3 points, while Boston’s sits at 13.2. Jaylen Brown and Kawhi Leonard have spearheaded the attacks for their clubs, each leading their team in scoring in four of the last five games.
Boston holds the edge in several statistical categories entering tonight’s contest, including points scored, points allowed, rebounds, assists, and blocks. That advantage extends to the betting window as well, as the Celtics are 19-13-1 against the spread this season, while Los Angeles has covered in just 14 of 33 games. Boston’s offense will be tested against a Clippers defense that ranks seventh in the NBA in points allowed (113.6 per game). That number could work in Boston’s favor, however, as the Celtics are 16-2 ATS when eclipsing that mark. Boston has also been a strong road bet, covering more than 60% of the time away from TD Garden.
Los Angeles’ red-hot offense presents an intriguing challenge for Boston’s second-ranked defense, which allows just 110.6 points per game — trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite owning an 8-2 record ATS over their last ten games, the Clippers have struggled to consistently cover at home, cashing tickets in just six of 16 games (37.5%) at Intuit Dome.
Expect Boston’s defense to slow Los Angeles’ recent offensive surge and snap the Clippers’ six-game winning streak.
The Pick: Celtics Moneyline
