Celtics vs. Lakers Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Sunday, Feb. 22

A marquee matchup is set to take place on Sunday night, as the Boston Celtics hit the road to play the Los Angeles Lakers – renewing the NBA’s biggest rivalry.

Boston is set as a small favorite on the road in this game, as Jaylen Brown and company have won eight of their last 10 games and hold the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Lakers, on the other hand, are in the mix for a top-three seed in the West and have won back-to-back games, including a three-point win on Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Lakers will have their trio of LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves all in action for this game, a good sign for their offense as it attempts to compete with Boston’s attack – which ranks No. 2 in offensive rating.

Boston dominated the first meeting between these teams this season, winning by 21 back on Dec. 5. Can it complete the season sweep tonight?

Let’s dive into the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for this rivalry matchup.

Celtics vs. Lakers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Celtics -1.5 (-115)
Lakers +1.5 (-105)

Moneyline

Celtics: -125
Lakers: +105

Total

229.5 (Over -105/Under -115)

Celtics vs. Lakers How to Watch

Date: Sunday, Feb. 22
Time: 6:30 p.m. EST
Venue: Crypto.com Arena
How to Watch (TV): NBC/Peacock
Celtics record: 36-19
Lakers record: 34-21

Celtics vs. Lakers Injury Reports

Celtics Injury Report

Max Shulga – out
Jayson Tatum – out
Amari Williams – doubtful

Lakers Injury Report

Adou Thiero – out
Bronny James – out

Celtics vs. Lakers Best NBA Prop Bets

Lakers Best NBA Prop Bet

LeBron James 6+ Assists (-164)

LeBron enters this game averaging 7.2 assists per game in the 2025-26 season, and he’s recorded at least six dimes in every game this month.

James has five consecutive games with 10 or more assists, and he should have a big playmaking role for L.A. as it tries to keep up with a vaunted Boston offense. The Celtics are seventh in the league in opponent assists per game, but James has at least six dimes in 18 of his 22 games since Jan. 1.

He’s a solid bet at this discounted number at home.

Celtics vs. Lakers Prediction and Pick

The Celtics are 18-10 on the road this season, and their offense (No. 2 in the NBA) should torch a Lakers team that is just 24th in the league in defensive rating this season.

Los Angeles is 14-12 against the spread at home this season, but it’s posted an average scoring margin of just +1.4 in those games. The Lakers have dominated clutch games (games within five points in the final five minutes), going 16-3 this season. However, I don’t see them pulling away from this Boston team that is 18-10 against the spread on the road – the No. 3 mark in the NBA.

The C’s are 8-2 in their last 10 games, and they should make things tough on a Lakers team that needs its offense to play at an elite level to win against the best teams in the NBA.

Pick: Celtics -1.5 (-115 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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