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Raptors vs Celtics: Does Toronto have a chance in this one?
The Boston Celtics will host the Toronto Raptors tonight in TD Garden in second of their back-to-back games. They barely escaped the loss last night and will try to win their fifth game in a row.
The Raptors are struggling
The Toronto Raptors are 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 12-18 record. They have been struggling lately, losing 4 of the last 6 games but are coming off a 132-102 win against the Washington Wizards. The Raptors are 21st in the league, scoring 113.1 points per game, and they are ranked 7th with 42.2 rebounds per game. Sophomore Scottie Barnes is having a solid season, averaging 20.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
Boston is the best team in the league
The Boston Celtics are on top of the Eastern Conference with the best record in the league of 24 wins and 6 losses. After more than two months of the season, they are still perfect at home with 15 wins. The Celtics are currently on a four-game winning streak and are coming off a 128-122 overtime win over the Detroit Pistons after being down by 19 at halftime. The Celtics are third in the league, allowing 109.9 points per game. Jayson Tatum is having another impressive season, averaging 26.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.
Betting Trends
The Boston Celtics have gone over in their last five games. They are also over in 6 of their last 9 games against opponents from the Eastern Conference. The Raptors are over in 4 of their last 5 games played on Friday.
Is Pascal Siakam on the trading block?
The Raptors made a lot of changes going into this season. They hired the first-time head coach, Darko Rajakovic, and traded starting point guard Fred VanVleet. As they are below the playoff line, it can be expected that the Raptors will go into full rebuilding mode, which will put their leading scorer, Pascal Siakam, on the trading block.
Injury Reports
Christian Koloko is out for the Raptors and Jaylen Brown is out for the Celtics.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Boston Celtics barely survived last night against the worst team in the league, the Detroit Pistons, who lost their 28th consecutive game. The Celtics are 15-0 at home this season. That run sounds impressive, but it would probably end soon. The Raptors are struggling lately, but they have decent players that, on a good night, can beat anybody in the league. The total point line for this game is set at 223.5 points, and with the Celtics going over in their last five games, they will probably do the same in this one against the Raptors.
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