NBA best bets: Keep it simple with Celts-Lakers

We're opting for a touch of simplicity on this fine Thursday, simply loading up a pair of picks against the spread for this small NBA slate. There are but four games and the NHL is on break, plus no NFL this weekend. We are entering a slight downturn in the sports calendar, but that doesn't mean we'll stop finding us some bets.

Two spread picks tonight in the NBA

Boston Celtics -11 (-110 Caesars)

The Celtics host the Lakers this evening, a team they hold a decisive edge over. You could probably say that for just about any team, but it's worth stating here. Boston is elite on both ends, owning the second-best offensive rating and third-strongest defense. Los Angeles is below-average offensively and middle-of-the-pack on defense, and that's what initially caught our eye.

The way these two teams perform in their respective locations is what really brings it over the edge for us. Los Angeles is just 7-17 away from home, while the Celtics are 22-2 in Boston. Factor in that the Celtics have won five of the past six meetings, and we have to back Boston here.

Utah Jazz -4.5 (-115 BetMGM)

Joel Embiid is out after re-injuring his knee earlier this week, and as you might guess, that absence makes quite the difference for Philadelphia. The 76ers are 3-9 this season without Embiid, with each of those losses coming by 6+ points, and more often than not resulting in double-digit defeats.

One such game was against this Utah Jazz team at the beginning of January, a 120-109 win for Utah in Philly. Now the Jazz are at home, where they're 15-6 on the season. We're loving Utah in this spot tonight.

In the news ...

Seahawks hire Baltimore DC Mike Macdonald to be next head coach — The Seattle Seahawks have finally filled their head-coaching vacancy, hiring Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to a six-year contract. Macdonald has quickly flown up the ranks and is now the youngest head coach in the NFL at 36 years old. The Seahawks hope that Macdonald can return them to NFC West relevance, and after his shutdown performance against the San Francisco 49ers on Christmas, perhaps this is just the man to do it. The Seahawks are currently 60-1 to win next year's Super Bowl, the 11th-longest odds in the league.

Vancouver Canucks trade for Elias Lindholm — In a massive trade, the Vancouver Canucks have acquired 29-year-old center Elias Lindholm from the Calgary Flames for a haul of assets headlined by Andrei Kuzmenko and a 2024 first-round pick. Lindholm figures to slot in immediately on one of the Canucks' top two lines and should bolster what has already been a strong forward group. Vancouver currently has the most points in the Western Conference and is seemingly going all-in for a championship push this year. The Canucks have the fourth-best odds to make the Stanley Cup Final out of the West at +650.

Formula One's Lewis Hamilton set to join Ferrari in shocking move — Lewis Hamilton, the driver with the most F1 wins in history, is set to switch teams from Mercedes to Ferrari at the start of the next season. The surprise move is Ferrari hoping to return to prominence, as they have not produced a Formula One World Champion since 2007. For now, Hamilton will continue representing Mercedes this season. The next event is the FC Bahrain GP 2024 at the end of February. Hamilton (+850) is the second favorite behind Max Verstappen at -275.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Griffin Carroll. Follow him on Substack: griffybets.substack.com.