The Toronto Raptors will look to post back-to-back wins for the first time since late November when they visit the Boston Celtics on Friday night at TD Garden.
Toronto cruised to a 132-102 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday to snap a three-game losing streak and Friday’s contest will be the first of a back-to-back set for the Raptors, who will play the lowly Pistons in Detroit on Saturday.
Bet on Raptors vs. Celtics
TOR +8
BOS -8
The Celtics will be playing the second half of a back-to-back on Friday after narrowly escaping with a 128-122 overtime victory over the Pistons, who have now lost 28 consecutive games.
Boston is an eight-point favourite at bet365 on Friday and the total is set at 225.5 points.
Raptors vs. Celtics odds
| Raptors Moneyline Odds | +260 |
| Celtics Moneyline Odds | -320 |
| Over/Under | 225.5 points (over -110, under -110) |
| Spread | Celtics -8 (-110) |
| Time/Date | Dec. 29, 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: TSN Stream: NBA League Pass (How to watch the NBA in Canada?) |
All odds courtesy of 
About the Raptors (12-18 SU, 14-16 ATS, 15-15 o/u)
The Raptors should be feeling pretty good about themselves heading into action against the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics after a solid all-around performance against the Wizards.
O.G. Anunoby scored 26 points and Pascal Siakam added 22 points and a season-high 11 assists in the victory. Scottie Barnes nearly posted a triple-double with 20 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
As a team, the Raptors recorded 43 assists, one shy of their season high. But perhaps more impressive is that they shot 57.1% collectively from the field, including 39.5% from long range.
Toronto has dropped both of its previous meetings with Boston this season. The Celtics edged out a 108-105 victory at Scotiabank Arena in the last meeting on Nov. 17, but the Raptors managed to cover the spread as nine-point underdogs. Back on Nov. 11, the Celtics cruised to a 117-94 win on their home court to cover as 8.5-point favourites. Both games played under the posted totals (224 points, 222.5 points).
About the Celtics (24-6 SU, 15-13-2 ATS, 16-13-1 o/u)
Centre Kristaps Porzingis poured in a season-high 35 points on Thursday to help the Celtics win their fourth straight game. They now have nine wins in their last 10 games and are a perfect 15-0 at home this season.
Without Jaylen Brown in the lineup due to a back issue, the Celtics allowed the Pistons to open up a 21-point lead before closing the gap with a 19-5 run in the third quarter. Detroit forced the game into overtime, though, so both Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum were forced to play over 40 minutes to secure the victory. Those heavy minutes played by Boston’s starters could result in some fatigue against the Raptors on Friday, especially late in the game.
With a win on Friday, the Celtics can inch closer to the franchise record, currently held by the 1957-58 Celtics, for consecutive home wins to start a season (17).
Raptors team total: over 109.5 points
-115
Injury concerns
No major injury concerns for the Raptors. Guard Garrett Temple is doubtful with an ankle injury and centre Christian Koloko (respiratory illness) is still out.
Brown (back) is questionable for the Celtics and bettors will want to closely monitor the status of the star guard, who is averaging 22.6 points per game this season.
Betting trends
- The over is 5-0 in Boston’s last five games.
- The under is 5-1 in the past six meetings between the teams.
- Boston is 10-5 ATS at home this season.
Player prop trends
- Scottie Barnes has been trending over on his props for assists, rebounds and threes made recently. The Raptors wing has recorded seven or more assists in three straight games and five of his last six. As for rebounds, he’s averaging 12 per game over his last five contests. And from long range, Barnes is coming off back-to-back four three-pointer performances. You can grab Scottie to record over 6.5 assists at -110, over 8.5 rebounds at -130, and over 1.5 made threes at -150.
Wagers to consider
- Raptors team total: over 109.5 points (-115). The Raptors have exceeded this number in three straight games and should be able to stay on trend against a fatigued Celtics squad that will likely rely more on its bench in this one.
- This spread opened as high as Boston -12.5 at some sportsbooks and the number has moved to Celtics -8 at bet365 after opening at -9.5. Clearly bettors are backing the Raptors in this spot and they’re still a good bet at +8. This number could keep moving in Toronto’s direction leading up to the tip, especially if Brown doesn’t suit up.
