The edge goes to the Lakers at home against the Celtics on Thursday, January 7, at about 60%. That is a real edge, but the Celtics are far from out of it.
How the Win Meter reads
The Win Meter reads the Lakers 60%, with a projected score of Boston Celtics 112, Los Angeles Lakers 114. The rating gap is 31 points in favor of the Celtics, and home court and rest add about 101 rating points for the Lakers on top of that.
Readings in this range leave plenty of room for the other side. About 40 times in 100 games like this, the Celtics would win.
Recent form
The Celtics are 1-1 this season and 1-4 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -8.4. The Lakers are 2-0 this season and 2-3 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -3.2.
The Celtics were beaten 113-97 at home by PHI not long ago.
The Lakers' best recent win was 127-105 at home against GSW.
The Lakers were beaten 131-108 at home by OKC not long ago.
Injuries to watch
Out: Devin Carter (BOS), expected back Nov 8, 2026.
Day to day or questionable: Cameron Carr (LAL), Adou Thiero (LAL), and Jake LaRavia (LAL). Their status can change before tip-off.
The season series
In our records of recent meetings, the Celtics lead 3-1, with the Celtics outscoring the Lakers by an average of 8 points per game. The last meeting was BOS 111, LAL 89.