Looking to win big? The Raptors and Celtics face off at 7:30 ET on NBCS. The Celtics are hosting the game at TD Garden in Boston, MA. The over/under for this Atlantic division contest is set at 225 points, with the Celtics being the favored team playing at home against the Raptors.

TORONTO RAPTORS VS BOSTON CELTICS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Toronto Raptors +9

This game will be played at TD Garden at 7:30 ET on Friday, December 29th.

WHY BET THE TORONTO RAPTORS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 113-107 in favor of the Celtics.
  • Our projections have Jayson Tatum finishing with Jayson Tatum points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
  • From the field, we have the Celtics finishing with a field goal percentage of 48.8% and knocking down 17 threes.

Can The Raptors Secure a Win at Boston?

So far this season, the Raptors have an overall record of 12-18, which has them in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. In road games, they are 4-9 and have an average scoring differential of -3.3 points per contest.

Against the spread, Toronto’s road record is 6-7, and they have covered the spread in three straight games as the underdog. Their overall ATS record for the season is 14-16.

When looking at their over/under record, they have combined with opponents to go 15-15, and their games have averaged 227.4 points per contest. On average, the over/under line in their games is 224.7.

In their last game, Toronto took down the Wizards by a score of 132-102. This game finished with a total of 234 points, falling short of the 242-point over/under line. The Raptors also covered the spread in this game as 6.5-point favorites.

In their last game, the Raptors scored 132 points against the Wizards while shooting 57.1% from the field. They hit 15 three-pointers in the game. OG Anunoby was the team’s leading scorer with 26 points, while Pascal Siakam contributed 22 points.

In terms of defense, Raptors is currently on par with the NBA average for points allowed, giving up an average of 114.4 points per game. For the season, Toronto is ranked 27th in fewest fouls per game. Team’s are averaging 18.9 free-throws per game vs. the Raptors and have an overall field goal percentage of 48.4%.

Is A Home Victory Likely for Favored Boston?

As the Celtics get set to take on the Raptors, they come in as the favorites and have yet to lose at home this season. Overall, Boston is sitting at 24-6 and have won four straight games.

Coming into today, the Celtics are 9-point favorites and have an average scoring margin at home of +14.9 points per contest. Boston’s average scoring differential on the road is +5.1 points per game.

Against the spread, Boston is just 14-14 this season, which includes going 9-5 at home vs. their 15-0 straight up mark. The team’s average over/under line for the season is 227.9 points, and today’s line is set at 225.

In their last game, the Celtics took on the Pistons and won by a score of 128-122. The over/under line in that game was 233.5 points, and Boston fell to cover the spread as 17-point favorites.

Looking at the Celtics offense, they are currently 6th in scoring at 120.3 points per game. In 66.7% of their games, they have scored more than what their opponent’s defense is allowing on average. Jayson Tatum is the team’s leading scorer at 27 points per game, while Jaylen Brown is right behind at 22.6 PPG.

So far this season, the Celtics defense has been performing well, ranking 4th in the NBA at 110.3 points allowed per contest. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Celtics squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 50.5% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 36.8% from downtown.