The Toronto Raptors head to Boston to take on the Celtics in what should be an entertaining Atlantic Division showdown. The Celtics have fallen further behind Toronto in the division after their two-game losing streak coincided with Toronto’s current five-game winning streak.
Toronto and Boston have faced each other twice this season and they each have a win. Toronto won the first meeting at home in October and then recorded a 123-116 loss in Boston about a month later. In fact, Toronto has dropped four straight games in Boston and five out of their last six. Another interesting statistic is that both Boston and the Toronto have failed to reach the 100-point mark in three of their last six games in Boston. Scoring could be at a premium.
So, the question before us is whether Kyrie Irving can score 25 points in this game? In his last game against the Orlando Magic, Irving managed to rack up 25 points on the nose. He went 11 of 13 with his free throws, which was a season high in terms of attempts and conversions. He also drained an additional seven baskets but he converted none of his five three-point attempts. Since missing a pair of games to start 2019, Irving has averaged 19 points per game, which is below his season average of 22.7 points per game.
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In the first meeting between Toronto and Boston this year, Irving tallied 21 points in a 113-101 loss in Toronto. In his second game, which was played in front of the home crowd, Irving dropped a season-high 43 points on Toronto. He sunk a season-high 18 field goals on 26 attempts while converting three of his six three-point attempts.
There isn’t a lot of information to be gleaned from last year’s meetings between Toronto and Boston as Irving missed the first meeting, scored 17 points in Toronto in a 111-91 loss, and then missed the rest of season. Irving has played in 38 of Boston’s 42 games so far this year and he has managed to score 26 or more points in just 13 of those. Of course, those who are leaning toward taking the over on this prop bet will be quick to point out the 43 points he scored against Toronto a couple of months ago.
Irving is pretty solid when it comes to his field goal percentage and he is certainly money from the free throw line when he actually gets the opportunity. He doesn’t attempt many three-pointers and when he does, he sinks less than half. Even if he gets his 35 minutes on the floor, Kyrie Irving will not eclipse the 25-point mark.
My Pick: Kyrie Irving Under 25 Points
