Celtics vs. Raptors Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
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Jeremy Perry
The Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors both started the 2018-19 NBA season with home-court victories. Now they play each other in an eagerly-awaited early-season test of their strengths. This is a matchup of the two teams who are currently favored to be the last standing in the conference. While it’s early, this will give us our first look at who has the leg up in the East.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Celtics covered the spread in their 105-87 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in a big NBA season opener on Tuesday. The Celtics were not especially great on offense, but they were outstanding on defense. Philadelphia made only 39 percent of its field goals. They are 36-25 against the spread (ATS) in their last 61 as an underdog.
Toronto did not cover the spread against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The line was -12.5 points for the Raptors, who won by 12, 116-104. They are 22-10 ATS in their last 32 against the division, though. They have won and covered four straight as the host in this series.
Boston Celtics
The big change for Boston this season is having Gordon Hayward back in the lineup after his opening night injury last season. The hope for the Celtics is that with Hayward and Kyrie Irving healthy, they can be the best team in the Eastern Conference and exceed the high standard set by last season’s team, which gained a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals before losing the last two games to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Hayward was not special in the opener against the 76ers, but he was a plus-10 in 25 solid minutes. His offense was mediocre, scoring only 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting, but his defense was outstanding. He swiped four steals, tied with Ben Simmons for the most in that game. If Hayward merely provides great defense, he has teammates such as Jayson Tatum (23 against the Sixers) and Irving who can score. Interestingly enough, though, Irving was just 2-of-14 from the field against the 76ers, and Al Horford was held to just nine points. Boston’s bench scored 44 points, the starting five 61.
Toronto Raptors
The two acquisitions from the San Antonio Spurs in the offseason, Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, were great in their Raptor regular-season debuts. Leonard’s 24 and 12 were already mentioned above, but Green hit 3 of 7 three-pointers, added five rebounds, and was a plus-15 in his 33 minutes of playing time. Toronto will take that every game. The Raptors hit 14 of 33 threes against Cleveland, powered by Kyle Lowry hitting 5 of 6. The Raptors’ bench scored 35 points, picking up from last season when it was also one of the best supporting casts in the NBA. Toronto’s defense was prone to fouling – it allowed Cleveland to shoot 39 free throws – but it limited the Cavs to just seven made threes and 40 percent field goal shooting. The NBA head coaching debut of new Toronto boss Nick Nurse went relatively smoothly.
