In a rematch of the 2020 NBA Playoffs, the Boston Celtics will visit the Toronto Raptors on Monday evening at 7:30 p.m. ET. Toronto is in need of a victory after a disappointing 1-4 start to the 2020-21 campaign. Boston arrives with a 4-3 record and the Celtics will play on the second night of a back-to-back. Kemba Walker (knee) is out of action for Boston and Patrick McCaw (knee) is sidelined for Toronto.
The latest Celtics vs. Raptors odds from William Hill Sportsbook list Toronto as a 4.5-point favorite, up two points from the opening line. The over-under for total points is set at 219, up four points from the opener. Before making any Raptors vs. Celtics picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it returned over $5,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks last season. The model is up nearly $8,100 over the past two seasons. Dating back to last season, it is on a stunning 62-36 roll on top-rated picks against the spread, returning almost $2,200 on those selections alone. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Celtics vs. Raptors. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the NBA odds from William Hill and betting trends for Raptors vs. Celtics:
- Celtics vs. Raptors spread: Raptors -4.5
- Celtics vs. Raptors over-under: 219 points
- Celtics vs. Raptors money line: Raptors -200; Celtics +175
- BOS: The Celtics are 3-4 against the spread in 2020-21
- TOR: The Raptors are 1-4 against the spread this season
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston is a potent offensive team, scoring nearly 1.12 points per possession this season. That offensive efficiency ranks in the top ten of the NBA, and Boston is also a top-eight team in both effective field goal percentage (55.5 percent) and offensive rebound rate (29.2 percent). The Raptors have few weaknesses defensively, but Toronto is grabbing only 69.1 percent of missed shots by their opponents, which could open the door for Boston on the offensive glass.
Defensively, Boston is off to a slow start, but they were an elite group last season with similar personnel. The Celtics are also creating havoc at a high level, forcing a turnover on 16.2 percent of possessions, and the Raptors enter this game as one of the five worst offensive teams in the league this season on a per-possession basis.
Why the Raptors can cover
Toronto is off to a slow start offensively, but the Raptors do have three proven offensive creators in Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet. VanVleet currently leads the team in averaging 19.2 points per game, and he adds 6.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per contest. Lowry is a steady hand on the perimeter, averaging 18.8 points and 8.2 assists per game with top-flight defense and leadership.
Siakam is still searching for his efficiency, but the All-NBA forward is still averaging 16.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game with the ability to explode at any time. Boston's defense has not been top-shelf this season, giving up almost 1.12 points per possession, and the Raptors have found success against the Celtics in the recent past.
How to make Celtics vs. Raptors picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, with both teams projected to score 210 points combined. The model also says one side of the spread hits almost 60 percent of the time. You can only see that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Raptors vs. Celtics? And which side of the spread hits almost 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Celtics vs. Raptors spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks.
