The Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors square off in a pivotal Game 4 on Saturday evening in the second round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs. After the Celtics emerged victorious in the first two games, the Raptors bounced back with a buzzer-beating victory on Thursday, setting the stage for another must-watch matchup in this best-of-seven clash. Gordon Hayward (ankle) remains sidelined for Boston, though Tremont Waters (knee) has been upgraded to questionable. The Raptors will be without Oshae Brissett (knee) and Patrick McCaw (knee) for Game 2.
Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m. ET in Orlando. William Hill lists Boston as the one-point favorite, while the over-under, or total number of points expected, is 214 in the latest Celtics vs. Raptors odds. Before making any Raptors vs. Celtics picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it’s already returned over $5,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks this season. It entered the week on a blistering 60-33 run on top-rated NBA spread picks, returning almost $2,400 on those picks alone. It’s also a sizzling 10-2 on top-rated picks since the NBA’s restart in July. 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 trends for Raptors vs. Celtics:
- Celtics vs. Raptors spread: Celtics -1
- Celtics vs. Raptors over-under: 214 points
- Celtics vs. Raptors money line: Celtics -120, Toronto +100
- BOS: The Celtics are 7-3 against the spread in the last 10 games
- TOR: The Raptors are 5-5 against the spread in the last 10 games
Why the Celtics can cover
The Celtics have been the superior team in this series, even while acknowledging a close-fought loss in Game 3. Boston is allowing less than a point per possession in the series and, in the regular season, the Celtics finished with a top-four defense in the NBA. Brad Stevens’ team ranked No. 4 in the league in shooting-efficiency allowed and No. 6 in turnover rate, forcing a turnover on 15.4 percent of possessions.
The Celtics do sometimes struggle on the defensive glass, but the Raptors are one of the worst offensive rebounding teams in the NBA, grabbing only 24 percent of available rebounds after missed shots in the regular season. Offensively, Boston is also quite potent, ranking in the top six in turnover rate, offensive rebounding and points per possession. It is difficult sledding for any team to score on an elite Raptors defense, but Boston is able to generate quality looks with multiple players, headlined by Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker, that can shoot accurately off the dribble.
Why the Raptors can cover
Nick Nurse’s team is led by its defense, ranking No. 2 in the NBA in points allowed per possession during the regular season. Toronto boasts top-two rankings in the NBA in shooting efficiency allowed and turnover rate dating back to the regular season, and the Raptors deploy lineups without any tangible defensive weaknesses. In Game 3, the Raptors were able to create transition opportunities by generating stops, and that led to 12 fast-break points. Toronto led the NBA in transition scoring during the regular season, and that is an area to focus on in this matchup.
Offensively, the Raptors are a top-10 team in the NBA in generating free throws, while the Celtics rank near the bottom of the league in preventing opponents from getting to the line. Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam attacked the rim with impunity in Game 3, with both Lowry and Fred VanVleet putting pressure on the defense with long-range shooting.
How to make Celtics vs. Raptors picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, with Tatum and Marc Gasol projected to exceed their season-long scoring averages. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Raptors vs. Celtics? And which side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Celtics vs. Raptors spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $5,000 on its top-rated NBA picks this season, and find out.
