Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics Preview and Prediction (4/5/23)
Moneyline: Celtics -200, Raptors +170
Spread: Celtics -5, Raptors +5
Total: 227
Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics Betting Odds Breakdown
The Raptors will be making a trip down to Boston to take on the Celtics on Wednesday.
Boston is coming into this game as the favorite at -5, and the over/under is sitting at 227 points. Along with that, the moneyline is sitting at -200 for Boston and +170 for Toronto.
Toronto Raptors Preview
With the NBA season getting close to an end, it looks like the Raptors will have a play-in spot.
Many thought the Raptors would have had a bit of a better season after finishing fifth in the eastern conference last year, but that is not the case this year. One of the bigger problems they have had this year is that their shooting percentage has not been very good. They are shooting about 46% from the field this year, and that has them at 26th in the league. And with them gearing up to play a Boston team that is one of the best defensively in the league, it may not be surprising to see them struggle against the Celtics.
The last time the Raptors matched up with the Celtics, Toronto lost by the score of 106-104. What was a major cause in that loss was that they did not defend the three point line very well. They already let their opponents make 37.6% of their three point shots, and it wasn’t any better in this game. They let Boston about 47% from three from that game, which resulted in them making 16 three pointers throughout the game. And with the Raptors only making seven of them, it became difficult for them to keep up.
Boston Celtics Preview
The Celtics are sitting at 54-25 late in the season, and that has them sitting at second in the eastern conference.
The Celtics have easily been one of the best teams in the league this season, and it seems like they do just about everything well. They score the ball very well, with them being second in the league for team points per game at about 118 points, and their defense is also very solid, because they are fourth in the league for defensive efficiency, and they also let up about only 112 points per game, which is sixth in the league. With a team that is this good all around, we should expect them to make some noise in the playoffs.
In Boston’s last game against Toronto, their biggest problem is that they let the Raptors shoot almost 54 percent from the field. It was the main reason why this game ended up being so close, and it wasn’t something that people expected from a team with defense that is this good. We’ll see if they can do better in that category, but for the most part, it seems like the Celtics have an advantage going into this game.
Winner Prediction: Boston Celtics -5
Coming down the stretch this season, it just seems like the Celtics are a much better team than the Raptors.
As long as they can perform better defensively in this one, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them get the win.
