Atlantic Division rivals will square off on Friday night when the Toronto Raptors travel east to take on the Boston Celtics. Toronto currently holds a 3.5-game lead on preseason favorite Boston in the division, and the Raptors would love to extend their lead by picking up a win on the road against arguably their biggest rival in the East. Meanwhile, Boston is looking to cut into the lead after a disappointing first month of the regular season.
This regular season tilt between Western Conference foes will take place on Friday, November 16, 2018. Tip-off will be at 7 p.m. ET from TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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Odds Analysis
There has been no line released for this game as NBA betting odds generally come out the night before the game. This article will be published on Thursday, so there are no basketball betting lines available at this time.
However, it looks likely that Boston will be a short home favorite. The Celtics are still getting a lot of love from bettors, and they will be playing at home.
These two teams met in the first week of the regular season, with Toronto earning a 12-point victory at home. Kawhi Leonard endeared himself to Raptors fans with a 31-point game in just his second game in Toronto, but the real star of the show was Serge Ibaka. Ibaka went 10-14 from the floor, and he was the best shooter on a night when both teams struggled from the floor.
Key Injuries
Toronto received good news on Wednesday when it was announced that Ibaka should be healthy enough to play against Boston on Friday. Ibaka has been dealing with a knee issue and he sat out of Wednesday night’s game with Detroit because of it, but he is expected to play against Boston according to reports. CJ Miles strained an adductor on Monday against New Orleans and sat out against Detroit, while Danny Green left the game with a sore back and is listed as questionable.
The Celtics are pretty healthy ahead of this important game. Boston only has one player still listed on the injury report, and that is Marcus Morris. Morris sat out of Wednesday night’s game with Chicago due to an illness, but he is likely to play here.
Key Stat
Toronto comes into this game with the third-best offensive rating in the NBA according to advanced metrics. The Raptors only trail Golden State and Milwaukee in this category, and they have haven’t missed a beat with Leonard taking the place of DeMar DeRozan.
The Raptors have been shooting well, cleaning up the boards well, but they excel with their team-first basketball. They average 25 assists per game, with Kyle Lowry averaging over 10 assists a night.
The one area in which they struggle is three-point shooting. Toronto is knocking down a scant 34 percent of its three-point attempts, and the Raptors don’t have the lights out 40 percent shooter that other teams possess. Leonard and Lowry are their two best rotation shooters, and they are averaging just 36 percent from downtown.
Player to Watch
There were pretty high expectations for Gordon Hayward coming into the season. Hayward signed a big deal with Boston in the summer of 2017, but he was injured in the season opener and missed the rest of the year after the injury. Fans were excited to see him back, but he has yet to rediscover the form that made him such a prized commodity. Hayward has shot just 39 percent from the floor and 31.4 percent from beyond the arc this season.
Live Betting Preview
Both Toronto and Boston played on Wednesday, so each team will have one day of rest ahead of this one. If you’re going to be live betting Boston and Toronto, watch Ibaka early on. If the knee seems to be bothering him somewhat, take the Celtics. If not, go ahead and grab Toronto.
NBA ATS Pick: Celtics 105, Raptors 102
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