Two of the top six teams in the East will clash Monday night when the Boston Celtics (47-28) visit the Toronto Raptors (42-32). Tip-off from Scotiabank Arena is at 7:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Celtics vs. Raptors odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
The Celtics are red hot right now, winning their last six games and nine of their last 10. They’ve covered the spread in five of their last six too, and have pulled even with the Miami Heat for the top seed in the East. The Celtics own the best defense in the NBA, with a rating of 105.9 and allowing just 103.9 points per game. The offense is still lagging behind a bit, ranking 14th in points per game (110.7) but Boston has been shooting it well as of late.
The Raptors have also been playing extremely well recently, going 8-2 in their last 10 games and winning their last two. They’re sixth in the East and like the Celtics have a top-10 defensive rating (110.1). PF Pascal Siakam leads the team with 22.2 points per game while SG Fred VanVleet is at 20.6 points per game.
- Money line: Celtics +155 (bet $100 to win $155) | Raptors -190 (bet $190 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Celtics +4.5 (-110) | Raptors -4.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 212.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
Celtics at Raptors key injuries
Celtics
- C Al Horford (personal) questionable
- C Robert Williams III (knee) questionable
Raptors
- PG Malachi Flynn (hamstring) out
- SG Gary Trent Jr. (toe) questionable
Prediction:
Celtics 110, Raptors 108
Money line
Despite likely being without Horford and Williams against the Raptors, I still like the CELTICS (+145) to win this one outright. They’re playing their best ball of the season right now, coming together nicely as a team. It helps that they’re shooting it substantially better than they were before the calendar turned to 2022, but the ball movement has created more open shots. This is a good opportunity to get a top team at plus money.