It’s a little strange to be talking about a 2-horse race for the Eastern Conference crown and not have the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of the conversation. The Cavaliers are getting a lot of the headlines in the sports pages because of their struggles this season, but I believe what we should really be talking about is the battle for supremacy in the East. The Boston Celtics are currently occupying the number one spot but are just two games up on the Toronto Raptors in second, which is why NBA betting enthusiasts are pretty hyped for their duel on Tuesday night.
Given how things have been going in the conference this year, it is looking more and more as though it will be these two teams battling it out all the way down to the wire. Both teams are on winning streaks right now, and while the Raptors have been money at home, which is why they come in as the favorite at the latest NBA odds, the Celtics also have one of the best road records in the NBA. These two teams are very evenly matched, and while a win here for either team will not lock up the conference crown, it will certainly help their cause.
They have not performed as well as Boston against divisional opponents, going 6-3 in their 9 games, but they have been dominant in conference play, where they are 20-7. Where the Raptors have really shined is in their play at home, where they have only dropped 4 games all season long. They only lost by a single point in their last meeting with the Celtics in Boston, and you need to like their chances of getting revenge on home court.
Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors Game Info & NBA Betting Pick
“It’s going to be a hard battle (tonight vs. Toronto), but this is what we like,” says Terry Rozier. “You’ve got two of the top teams in the East, so this is going to be fun to watch.” pic.twitter.com/GUuP8OSTLG
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) 6 de febrero de 2018
- When: Tuesday, February 6 at 7:30 PM EST
- Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto
- TV: CSNN and TSN
- Radio: 98.5 FM (Boston) / 1050 AM (Toronto)
- Live Stream: NBA League Pass
- NBA Odds: Toronto Raptors -4.5 (Over/Under at 207 points)
Team Records
- All: Boston Celtics 39-15 / Toronto Raptors 36-16
- Home: Boston Celtics 21-8 / Toronto Raptors 21-4
- Away: Boston Celtics 18-7 / Toronto Raptors 15-12
- ATS: Boston Celtics 33-19-2 / Toronto Raptors 28-24
- Over/Under: Boston Celtics 26-27-1 / Toronto Raptors 27-25
Top NBA Picks & Predictions of the Week – February 5th Edition
Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)
- Record: Toronto Raptors lead 6-4
- Score: Boston Celtics 99.00 / Toronto Raptors 102.50
- Field Goal Percentage: Boston Celtics 46.16 / Toronto Raptors 42.19
- Rebounds: Boston Celtics 44.30 / Toronto Raptors 40.60
- 3 Point Shots: Boston Celtics 92-241 / Toronto Raptors 102-289
- Steals: Boston Celtics 7.90 / Toronto Raptors 7.30
Why should the Celtics be your NBA Betting Pick?
Not only are the Celtics and Raptors going head to head for the Eastern Conference, there is also the business of the Atlantic Division crown to take care of. The Celtics have been at the top of the conference almost since day one this season and are showing very little sign of slowing down. They did hit a little bit of a slump recently but appear to be breaking out of it by winning each of their last 4 games. The Celtics are a very balanced team, but it is on defense where they truly shine. Boston is the only team in the NBA who are giving up less than 100 PPG. They are down near the bottom in scoring but don’t often need to turn on the offensive power when they are so readily able to shut their opponents down. The Celtics are 9-2 against division foes, which includes a win over Toronto in their last meeting. They are also 18-7 SU on the road this season.Team Statistics
Offense- Total Score: 103.24
- Field Goal Percentage: 44.89
- Three-Point Percentage: 37.16
- Free Throw Percentage: 76.58
- Total Rebounds: 44.50
- Total Score: 98.44
- Field Goal Percentage: 43.04
- Three-Point Percentage: 33.31
- Free Throw Percentage: 76.34
- Total Rebounds: 44.00
Why should the Raptors be your NBA Betting Pick?
While the Raptors have been the only team able to keep pace with the Celtics this season, they have done so by using a different approach than Boston. Toronto is a team built on offense and is top 3 in the NBA with 111.3 PPG. They come into this one on the strength of back to back wins, not to mention 7 wins in their last 10 outings.
They have not performed as well as Boston against divisional opponents, going 6-3 in their 9 games, but they have been dominant in conference play, where they are 20-7. Where the Raptors have really shined is in their play at home, where they have only dropped 4 games all season long. They only lost by a single point in their last meeting with the Celtics in Boston, and you need to like their chances of getting revenge on home court.
Team Statistics
Offense- Total Score: 111.38
- Field Goal Percentage: 46.75
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.00
- Free Throw Percentage: 80.12
- Total Rebounds: 43.50
- Total Score: 103.87
- Field Goal Percentage: 44.89
- Three-Point Percentage: 34.86
- Free Throw Percentage: 76.83
- Total Rebounds: 42.62
Latest NBA Betting Trends
- Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games on the road
- Celtics are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston’s last 7 games when playing Toronto
- Raptors are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
- Raptors are 19-3 SU in their last 22 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto’s last 7 games at home
