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.
Celtics at Raptors odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:34 a.m. ET.
- 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
[tipico]
Celtics at Raptors odds, lines, picks and predictions
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.
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Against the spread
You can protect your money line bet a little bit by putting a wager on the Celtics to cover the spread, getting 4.5 points from the Raptors. The Celtics have covered in four straight games against teams with a winning record. They’re 12-4 ATS on the road against teams above .500, so they’ve been great in games like this one.
Bet the CELTICS +4.5 (-110) to cover.
Over/Under
The total has gone Over in each of the Celtics’ last five games, with Boston scoring at least 124 points in each one. The Raptors have scored fewer than 100 in two of their last four games but they may not have to contend with Williams and Horford in the paint.
I like the OVER 212.5 (-115).
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