Celtics live up to hype

It’s safe to say that the Boston Celtics have taken the NBA by storm over the first month of the season.

At 14-2, the Celtics have the league’s best record, a sizable lead over Toronto in the Atlantic Division and an average margin of victory at a whopping 13.5 points.

Boston’s Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen & Co. have also been strong in Las Vegas.

The Celtics -- favored in 15 of 16 games with a line of eight points or more eight times -- are second in the league against the spread at 11-5 heading into tonight’s game at Philadelphia. Only Orlando has a better record against the spread at 17-3.

Boston, 9-0 at home, has not only been beating opponents at the Garden, it has been destroying them.

The Celtics are winning by an average of 20.3 points a game there with opponents shooting 38% and averaging only 80.4 points.

In four of Boston’s nine games, the Celtics have never trailed, and no opponent has had as much as a 10-point lead at any time over the nine games.

The combination of an improved New Orleans defense and Peja Stojakovic’s recent shooting slump has made scoring a premium in games featuring the Hornets.

New Orleans (12-6 overall) has had the under win 10 times in 18 games.

The Hornets are listed as one-point home underdogs against Detroit tonight with an over/under total of 190 points.

College football

Although UCLA defeated Brigham Young during the regular season, the Bruins opened the week as 4 1/2 -point underdogs to the Cougars for the Las Vegas Bowl.

Then Karl Dorrell was fired as coach Monday. The line grew to seven points at the Las Vegas Hilton sports book and to six points on the Planet Hollywood board. On the offshore books, the line has climbed to 5 1/2 points.

--

lonnie.white@latimes.com