The Toronto Raptors (7-25) travel to face off against the Boston Celtics (23-9) on Tuesday, December 31st. This game will be played at TD Garden in Boston and televised on NBCS. Both the Raptors and Celtics will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip off is scheduled for 3:00 ET.

Raptors vs Celtics

The Raptors Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Raptors’ season continued to spiral with a 136-107 loss to the Hawks on Sunday, dropping their record to 7-25. Toronto, who were favored by 1 point at home, not only lost but failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 243 narrowly exceeded the O/U line of 242.5.

Toronto fell behind early, trailing 35-25 after the 1st quarter. Despite a 33-29 edge in the 2nd quarter, the Raptors were outscored 40-24 in the 3rd, entering the 4th quarter down 104-82. Atlanta closed out the game by outscoring Toronto 32-25 in the final period.

The Celtics Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Celtics dropped to 23-9 on the season after a 123-114 home loss to the Pacers on Sunday. Boston, favored by 10.5 points, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 237, surpassing the pre-game line of 231.5.

Boston led 29-27 after the 1st quarter, but a 38-point 2nd quarter by the Pacers shifted the momentum. Both teams scored 33 points in the 3rd, and the Celtics entered the 4th down 98-91. A 13-0 run by Indiana extended their lead from 107-103 to 116-107, sealing the game.

Raptors Offense Breakdown

In their 136-107 loss to the Hawks, the Raptors struggled offensively, shooting 44.7% from the field and hitting just 7 threes at a 29.2% clip. Scottie Barnes led the way with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, shooting 58.3% from the floor.

RJ Barrett added 17 points despite shooting 38.5%, while Jakob Poeltl contributed 13 points on 62.5% shooting. Barnes scored 8 of his points in the 1st quarter, while Poeltl added 8 in the 3rd.

Celtics Offense Breakdown

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 31 points and 6 assists in their 123-114 loss to the Pacers, shooting 61.9% from the field. Jayson Tatum added 22 points and 9 rebounds, while Payton Pritchard contributed 21 points, hitting 5 threes at 62.5% efficiency.

As a team, Boston struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 29.6% with 16 made threes. Overall, they shot 46.2% from the field, with Brown scoring 12 points in the 1st quarter and Pritchard adding 13 in the 2nd.

Raptors Team Defense

Defensively, the Raptors struggled against the Hawks, giving up 136 points on 48% shooting. Toronto allowed 35 points in the 1st quarter and a 40-point 3rd quarter. Atlanta also hit 18 threes at a 40% clip.

Toronto sent the Hawks to the line 35 times, where they made 26 free throws. The Raptors grabbed 37 defensive rebounds but allowed 14 offensive boards. They also recorded 10 steals and 4 blocks.

Celtics Team Defense

The Raptors struggled defensively against the Hawks, allowing 136 points on 48% shooting. Toronto gave up 35 points in the 1st quarter and 40 in the 3rd, while Atlanta also scored 32 in the 4th.

From three-point range, the Hawks hit 18 threes at a 40% clip. The Raptors sent Atlanta to the line 35 times, where they made 26 free throws. Toronto recorded 10 steals and 4 blocks.

Raptors vs Celtics Trends

• When looking at their past ten road matchups, Toronto has an ATS record of 4-6 while averaging 110 per game. The team went 1-9 overall in these games.
• Across the Celtics last five home games, the team averaged 117 points per game while allowing 109. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-4, while going 3-2 straight-up.
• The last ten games that Toronto was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 6-3-1 while going 2-8 straight up.
• Going back to their previous five games as the favorite, Boston has an ATS mark of 2-3 while going 2-3 straight up.

Raptors vs Celtics Prediction

For a point-spread bet in this Raptors vs. Celtics matchup, we’re leaning towards the Raptors at +17. Although our projections show the Celtics winning 141-125, we suggest placing your bet on the Raptors for the point-spread.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 233.5 and given that our model is projecting 266 points between the teams, we like the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.