Atlantic Division rivals will close Friday night’s slate out when the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics lock horns for the fourth time this season. This however will be the first time the teams will have run up against each other since way back at the end of December. But before they do, each will have to play another game first with the Dinos set to square off against the Orlando Magic while the C’s get to run with a Brooklyn Nets team that just pulled off one of the biggest upsets against the NBA betting odds by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks outright as near 20-point underdogs. Though neither team will likely catch Milwaukee in the standings, there’s still playoff seeding to fight for so tonight’s tilt should be competitive with a healthy Kemba Walker likely taking to the hardwood after sitting the previous game out.
This game will take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, FL. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on Friday, August 7, 2020, and the game will be broadcast live on TNT. You can bet on NBA Odds at BookMaker.eu the remainder of the season.
Futures Odds Analysis
Having rattled off wins and covers in its two played games in the bubble against the Lakers and Heat, the Raptors currently check in as 13-1 underdogs to win the NBA title a second straight season. Only the Lakers, Bucks and Clippers have shorter odds to do so. Linemakers still love the makeup of this team even though Kawhi Leonard no longer suits up for the franchise. They’ve been favored in each of their three games played in Orlando, and will likely be installed short chalk to win this game as well. As for Boston, it checks in right behind the Raptors as 20-1 pups to win the franchise title No. 18. Its lone win through three tries in the bubble has come against Portland with the two defeats and non-covers coming against the Bucks and Heat.
Head-To-Head Results
The division rivals squared off three times in the regular season with the Celtics coming out on top twice. The first win occurred in both squad’s second game of the season at home where it logged the 112-106 win and cover as 2.5-point favorites; the 218 combined points pushed the total past the 213.5 closing number. Then the C’s traveled north of the border and handed the Dinos an embarrassing 118-102 defeat as 4-point Christmas Day underdogs; again the combined score sailed over the 214-point closing total. Having had enough of losing to its division rivals, the Raptors would go on to lay the smack down in the third and final meeting by skunking the C’s 113-97 as 7-point TD Garden underdogs; this time the combined score failed to surpass the 217-point closing total to move the over to 6-4 in the last 10 meetings.
Matchup to Watch
The key to winning this game for Toronto will be to control the glass or dramatically limit the amount of caroms Boston is able to reel in. In the pair of defeats, the Raptors were outboarded by the aggregate tally of 101-80. In the lone triumph, the Raptors destroyed the Celtics on the glass outboarding them 53-31 with Serge Ibaka snagging a game-high 10 to go along with 20 points. With that, you can expect Nick Nurse and his staff to devise some type of plan to keep Enes Kanter, Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward out of the paint since that trio combined for a grand total of 42 rebounds in the two games Boston triumphed in.
Injury Report
Coming back from a knee injury, Brad Stevens has made it a point to limit Kemba Walker’s minutes through the C’s first three bubble games. After logging a game-high 26+ minutes in a disappointing loss to the Miami Heat last time out, Boston elected to rest him completely for the game against the Nets. While it’s likely 100 percent that he takes to the hardwood for this one, make it a point to check the injury reports just to make sure his 20.8 point per game average will be available. If not, Boston will have an extremely tough time keeping up with the Dinos.
NBA Odds Pick
Now just 1.5-games ahead of Miami in the standings after dropping a 112-106 decision to the Heat as 5-point neutral court chalk, it’s starting to get a bit too close for comfort with the Heat and Pacers breathing down their necks. After likely going through the motions to defeat the Nets unrested on Wednesday, I can’t help but think they go all out to win this crucial matchup against Toronto. The Raptors on the other hand have no reason to show up for this one considering they’re more or less locked into the No. 2 seed in the East after Boston fell to Miami on Tuesday. With that, I’ll look to back the Celtics at a short number and look for Toronto to lay down in an attempt to coast to the finish with four more seeding games still remaining on the docket.
Prediction: Celtics 107, Raptors 97
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