The Boston Celtics have won five straight games to keep the heat on the Toronto Raptors for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in the postseason. Boston doesn’t have a great shot of catching Toronto but can edge ever closer when the teams face off in a head-to-head matchup this week.
The Celtics have the home court advantage, which figures to give them a chance of winning this game. However, Boston is missing star point guard Kyrie Irving so it won’t be the easiest matchup. The Raptors would take a huge leap forward in locking up the top seed with a win in this contest in NBA basketball betting.
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Odds Analysis
The Raptors are 55-20 straight up and 40-35 against the spread. Toronto has covered in 21 of 37 attempts on the road this season. The Raptors have only been the underdogs 12 times this season and have covered in nine of them. It will be interesting to see if they are given points on the NBA basketball spread.
The Celtics are 52-23 straight up and 46-27-2 against the spread. Boston has gone 19-16-2 against the spread at home this year. The Celtics are 29-24-2 against the spread as the underdog.
Injury Report
Kyrie Irving will miss the remainder of the regular season and some of the postseason after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. His absence is a big win as Irving is the team’s leading scorer and one of the best players in the NBA.
However, the Celtics have been playing well without him of late. They have reeled off five consecutive wins, beginning with a home win over the Thunder and then claiming four straight road victories over the Trail Blazers, Kings, Suns and Jazz.
Boston has not won any of those games by more than 11 points but it has consistently shown the ability to pick up close victories. Irving’s absence especially hurts in games like these as the Raptors boast an impressive backcourt with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan.
The team may also be without forward Al Horford, who is dealing with an ankle injury. If Horford doesn’t play, Boston will be considered the underdog in this one despite the home court.
Player To Watch
DeRozan -- The Raptors shooting guard has put together a really nice season as he has led Toronto on an excellent campaign. DeRozan is averaging 23.3 points, 5.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds per contest.
He is shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from three-point range. One of Toronto’s hallmarks is its depth as the team has a great bench, but in crunch time the starters are all on the court. DeRozan is the go-to guy in those situations and could play a huge role in the outcome of this contest.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Celtics have too many injury concerns heading into this one. The Raptors are the superior team and should be able to go on the road and come away with the victory. Keep an eye on Horford’s status because he will affect the spread.
Either way, take the Raptors to both win this game and cover. The victory will help wrap up the Eastern Conference crown in NBA basketball betting.
NBA Odds: Raptors 105, Celtics 100
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