A classic rivalry in the NBA is renewed on Sunday evening as Luka Dončić, LeBron James and the Lakers host the Celtics.
Jaylen Brown and Boston opened as a 1-point favorite over the Lakers at FanDuel Sportsbook, with an Over/Under of 228.5 total points.
The Lakers escaped with a one-possession victory over the Clippers on Friday, while Boston comfortably defeated the Warriors by 11 points on Thursday.
This marks the second meeting of the season between these teams, as the Celtics took care of business with a 21-point blowout win over Los Angeles back in early December.
Both Dončić and James were in street clothes for that contest. The Celtics, despite no Jayson Tatum in the lineup, also knocked down a season-high 24 3-pointers in the 126-105 win.
Brown finished with an impressive stat line of 30 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. I’m targeting the two-way All-Star to take over again.
As great as the Lakers are on offense, their zone-reliant defense ranks 24th in defensive rating, and teams, on average, shoot 56.3 percent from the field against them.
If JJ Redick chooses to deploy a small-ball lineup with James and Marcus Smart as forwards alongside DeAndre Ayton, Austin Reaves and Dončić, Brown will have ample opportunity to rebound.
The 2024 Finals MVP is also distributing the ball at a higher rate, coming off his sixth career triple-double against the Warriors in which he finished with a career-best 13 assists.
Betting on the NBA?
If Brown is double-teamed, he’ll have free rein to kick it out to Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, who are more than capable of knocking down open looks.
With Tatum still sidelined, take Brown and his increased usage to notch his 12th double-double of the season in Los Angeles.
If you’re feeling lucky, a sprinkle on his triple-double chances wouldn’t hurt either.
The Play: Jaylen Brown to record a double-double (+470, FanDuel Sportsbook)
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Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.