he Boston Celtics were 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS after sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers and winning the first two games of this series. But since then, the Toronto Raptors have evened the series up at two game apiece with back-to-back wins in Game 3 and Game 4. This evenly-matched series continues as both teams will be looking for the edge in Game 5 this Monday night.
- Date/Time: September 7, 6:30 p.m. ET
- Stadium: HP Field House
- TV Coverage: TSN
- Opening Odds: Raptors -1 | O/U 212.5
- Celtics vs Raptors
Opening Odds Analysis
Toronto opened as a 1-point favorite on Monday, but early bettors have taken the Celtics and pushed the line over to Boston being a 1-point favorite. The total has also moved slightly from its opener of 212.5 down to 212 points. The Raptors were small favored by two points in Game 1 and 2 and by 2.5 points in Game 3 before closing as 2-point underdogs in Game 4.
Boston News & Notes
Boston opened this series with a bang, picking up a comfortable 112-94 win in Game 1 after cruising to a 39-24 lead in the first quarter. The Celtics followed that win up with a 102-99 win in Game 2 and appeared to be on the verge of a 3-0 lead before being stunned at the buzzer by an OG Anunoby three-pointer that scored a 104-103 win for Toronto. One more loss later and that anticipated 3-0 series lead is now a 2-2 series tie.
Now the Celtics have to show off their mental toughness. With Gordon Haward out and the momentum no longer going their way, this group needs to find a way to rebound and get back on track offensively against this smothering Raptors defense.
Toronto News & Notes
Toronto has done an excellent job of keeping Boston’s top scorers in check. Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown combined for 72.8 points per game against the 76ers; that combined production has been slashed to 59.8 points per game against Toronto. The Raptors have the second best defense in the postseason this year allowing only 104.1 points per game.
Unfortunately for Toronto, they happen to be playing against the team that has had this postseason’s best defense as the Celtics are allowing only 99.9 points per game. Kyle Lowry has played a key role in helping the team break through on offense over the last two games; after averaging 16.5 points per game in the first two games of the series, Lowry is averaging 26.5 per game in Toronto’s two wins.
Betting Pick: UNDER 212 points
A total of only 212 is very low for today’s NBA. But all four of the first four games between these two teams has gone UNDER, and the intensity in the defensive zones is only going to ramp up even more this late in the series. Look for another defensive nail-biter to stay under the posted total.
- Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games vs. Toronto.
- Toronto is 10-2 SU over its last 12 games.
- The UNDER is 6-0 in Boston’s last 6 games.
