NBA: Los Angeles Clippers VS Boston Celtics Pick and Predictions 12/29/2022

Game: 7:40 PM ET,  Thursday, December 29th, 2022

Venue: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

TV:  NBA League Pass

Clippers: 21-15, 4th place Western Conference

Celtics: 25-10, 1st place Eastern Conference

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Celtics -6.5, O/U 228.5

PointsBet: Point Spread: Celtics -6.5, O/U 228.5

Fanduel: Point Spread: Celtics -7, O/U 228

Clippers: SF Kawhi Leonard, PF Marcus Morris SR, C Iviac Zubac, PG Reggie jackson, SG Paul George

Celtics: PF Jayson Tatum, SF Jaylen Brown, C Al Horford, SG Derrick White, PG Marcus Smart

AN epic NBA battle between roster that are heavily favored for the NBA Finals.. And have just gotten as healthy as they ever will be.  The magic of the NBA is you build and build and build a roster and then someone on that roster will pop a knee or pull a shoulder… or suffer a high ankle sprain… and the promise of that roster will never be fulfilled.  It is sad and joyous all at the same time.  It’s sad because some teams don’t make it and some teams overcome it.. But they all go through it.  The Los Angeles Clippers were built to win an NBA Championship… it involved lots of trades and signings that completely changed the face of the team… and injuries killed it.  In fact if the trade to get Paiul George never happened.. This team would still have Shai-Gilgeous Alexander… and 6 draft picks… and alone Shai is putting up numbers better than Paul George.  But the real Clipper problem has always been Kawhi Leonard’s health.  Kawhi is healthy for the moment and the machine that was built on paper is finally running.  The Boston Celtics were for the most part drafted… PLUS they got very lucky when PG Kyrie Irving walked without compensation to the Brooklyn Nets.  They avoided him and his never ending headache and got to simply build a pure team.  The draft picks of Jayson Tatum, Jaylemn Brown, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III… have all panned out ot a great team… plus they have some tricks up their sleeve coming off the bench.  The great betting opportunity when these teams play each other right now?... will be found in the point spread.

The Los Angeles Clippers are on a two-game winning streak but have won 4 of their last 5 games.  They won their last game against the Toronto Raptors in convincing 124-113 fashion.  In that game SG Paull George and Center Ivica Zubac got 23 points… SG/SF Norman Powell had 22 points off the bench… PG Reggie Jackson had 20 points.  The Clippers were off and running and the Raptors could not stop them.  The Clippers are coming into their own and can afford for Kawhi Leonard to only get 15,7,8 in 34 minutes 1) because it is pretty great, and 2) because everyone else can score.

The Boston Celtics are on a powerful 3-game winning streak.  It is powerful because it killed a 3-game losing streak when it started.  They won their last game 126-102 over Houston… a big win ATS.  (as predicted here… against a very big 15 point spread).  In that win Jaylen Brown had 39 points and Jayson Tatum had 38 points… That is the Celtics Tsunami.  They get loads of production from their stars and then PG Marcus Smart (the pride of Flower Mound Texas) comes in to clamp down defensively and shore up any loose ends. The Celtics are the best team in the league… because they are the best team in the league.

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Our prediction for Thursday, December 29th is…. Clippers 122 - Celtics 120
Bet on the Clippers... You get some good points to put in your pocket... AND the Clippers have the only thing that makes the Celtics struggle.  That is two all-star long, lean, wing defenders in Kawhi and Paul George.  The Clippers' stars also provide an offensive punch to make Brown and Tatum work on both ends all game.

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The Clippers are 11-2 ATS after a non-conference game this season.

The Celtics are 10 OVER and 2 UNDER in a home game where the total is 220-229.5 this season.

Clippers: SF/SG Norman Powell.  Coming off the bench Norman Powell fulfills the triumvirate of 20+ point scorers on the Clippers.  It was meant to be Kawhi 20+, Paul George 20+, and Norman 20+, but they could never all be healthy at the same time until now...   Norman is the guy who has to do it without starter minutes. If Norman can?... This is the Finals team for the West. No pressure Norman.

Celtics: SG Derrick White.  Derrick is a fantastic shooting guard but he is not Jaylen Brown.  Jaylen has been playing at the small forward position and Jayson has been playing at the power forward position… The only way to keep this up is to get production from Derrick White.. So either they get that or the big guys have to play NOW.

Clippers: Tye “these my guys” Lue

Celtics: Ben “I just got this job” Mazzula