Courtside Players Club (12/25/23)

Merry Christmas.

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NBA

(1 Pick)

5:00PM EST: BOS/LAL Under 234.5 (2 Units)

This has a lot to do with the intensity that will come with this game. Big time rivalry game on Christmas day is going to feel a lot like a playoff game. The Under would have hit in each of the last 3 meetings between the Celtics and Lakers but their last 2 meetings were driven over in Overtime. They were well on course to fly under.

The Lakers showed just how good their defense can be when it matters. During the in-season tournament their defense was lights out. They treated those games like playoff games and played defense accordingly. This is also the Celtics 4th straight road game in just 7 days. They're coming off a couple big wins but tough to continue that on long road trips. The Under is also 6-1 in Lakers Home Games vs teams over .500. All in all, the Lakers rank 8th in defensive rating this year.

Boston ranks 4th in defensive rating and they're a stronger group when Porzingis is out there. He's missed plenty of games for rest purposes this season. He'll be on the floor tonight to help protect the rim against LA. The Celtics haven't allowed the Lakers to score more than 113 in regulation in 9 straight meetings.

This is going to play like a playoff game and that means NBA players are going to play defense. Unfortunately, that's not always a given during the regular season, but the intensity will be there. Nobody wants to lose on Christmas, especially to your biggest rival.