All Lakers Expert Predictions For LA-Boston Christmas Matchup

What to expect from the latest chapter of an historic rivalry.

The mighty Boston Celtics are touching down in Crypto.com Arena today, for a matinee Christmas bout against your Los Angeles Lakers. Tune in on ABC and ESPN to get your fix, starting at 2 p.m. PT.

Ahead of this matchup between two longtime foes, we're here to address some of your burning questions.

Will the Celtics win and/or cover the expected game spread?

Boston is a marginal -3-point favorite to win, per The Action Network. A lot of their advantage hinges on the health of their frontcourt. Oft-injured center Kristaps Porzingis is, invariably, injured again. He missed Boston's most recent game, a 145-108 massacre of the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, with a calf injury. If he plays, Boston will have the size upfront and the talent along the perimeter to get the job done. If Boston has to lean heavily on 37-year-old big man Al Horford at the five, Los Angeles should be able to secure its second straight W.

Who'll score more, Derrick White or Austin Reaves?

Both young guards function as scoring X-factors for their respective clubs. White, 29, is averaging a career-most 16.5 points on a .489/.422/.877 slash line, four rebounds, five assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals a night. Reaves, 25, is averaging 15.2 points on .477/.362/.879 shooting splits as a reserve, while adding 5.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 0.9 steals across all 30 of LA's games to this point. White is the better defender, Reaves the better playmaker. I think White has the slight edge tonight.

How will LA defend Boston's backcourt?

I assume newly-promoted starting power forward Jarred Vanderbilt will start the game matched up with All-NBA Boston power forward Jayson Tatum. Cam Reddish, whose wing defense has become so highly valued by head coach Darvin Ham that it seems like it's even been prioritized over Austin Reaves' offense, will probably log plenty of minutes against All-Star Celtics small forward Jaylen Brown. Starting Los Angeles two-guard Taurean Prince is set to cover All-Star Boston shooting guard Jrue Holiday, presumably. That's all well and good, but should LeBron James be expected to keep up with starting Celtics point guard Derrick White, an excellent two-way piece for Boston who's emerged as a fringe All-Star candidate this season? I think not, and I wonder if LA might try some weird crossmatching, where it will hide James on the least efficient perimeter shooter (that'd be Holiday) and try Prince on White early.