The Toronto Raptors (46-21) and their fifth-ranked offense welcome the Boston Celtics (39-29) and their fourth-ranked defense. Action begins at 7:30 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 18 and can be seen on CNE, SNT and NBA.
The Raptors enter this game hoping for similar success after topping the Pacers 101-94 on Thursday. Bismack Biyombo played a pivotal role, recording his eighth double-double of the season with 16 points and 25 rebounds. The Celtics, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their deflating 130-109 loss against the Thunder on Wednesday. Isaiah Thomas had a game-high 29 points.
This showdown pits one of the league’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Toronto currently ranks fifth in the NBA in offensive efficiency and Boston is fourth in defensive efficiency. It will also be a tale of two tempos, as the up-and-down Celtics are ranked third in possessions per game, with the methodical Raptors at 29th.
The Raptors have emerged victorious in both games against the Celtics this year, including a 115-109 win the last time these two teams met. In the victory, DeMar DeRozan led all scorers on the team with 34 points.
The Raptors have gone 46-21 Straight Up (SU) and 36-30-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 8-5 SU and 6-7 ATS against divisional opponents. The Raptors are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throws made, making an impressive 21.0 per game. Toronto will look to take advantage of the Celtics and their propensity to foul. Boston ranks 29th in the league in fouls, averaging 22.7 per game.
Over on the other bench, the Celtics have a record of 35-31-2 ATS and 39-29 SU. Against fellow division members, Boston is pretty successful on the road with a 5-0 SU and ATS record. The Celtics convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking fifth in the league at .790. The Celtics are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking fourth in the NBA at 1.80. Boston is the fifth-best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 18.7 per game.
In their previous meeting this season, Toronto beat Boston, bumping its SU record to 7-3 over the Celtics in their last 10 meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – Tor
Notes
“Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games “.
“Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto’s last 6 games “.
“Toronto is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Toronto is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto’s last 7 games at home”.
“Toronto is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Boston”.
“Toronto is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Boston”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto’s last 7 games when playing Boston”.
“Toronto is 6-12 ATS in its last 18 games when playing at home against Boston”.
“Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto’s last 7 games when playing at home against Boston”.
Toronto is 10-1 SU against its division, while Boston is 8-5 SU.
Boston’s offense and Toronto’s defense are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per game and points allowed per game respectively. Boston scores an average of 0.0 points per game, while Toronto allows 0.0 points per game.
Boston and Toronto are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per away game and points allowed at home respectively. Boston scores an average of 0.0 points on the road, while Toronto gives up 0.0 points at home on average.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Raptors are 36-3 on the season. When the Celtics score fewer than 100, they are a poor 5-13.
The Toronto Raptors have a losing 10-18 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Boston Celtics are 34-16 when they hit triple digits.
The Celtics have a defensive rating of 101.2, fourth-best in the NBA. The Raptors also rank in the top half of the league for their offensive rating of 108.3 (ranked fifth).
The Boston Celtics average 101.8 possessions per game and 1.041 points per possession. The Toronto Raptors earn fewer possessions with 95.1, but they score more points with 1.083.
The Toronto Raptors average an effective field goal percentage of 50.3% this season. The Boston Celtics have a subpar record of 7-20 when opponents have an EFF% of 50.3% or greater.
Boston, the fifth-ranked team in terms of assists, makes an average of 24.4 per game. Toronto ranks lower at 29th with 18.5.
Toronto makes an average of 5.2 blocks per game (ranked 11th), while Boston makes 4.3 blocks per game (ranked 23rd).
Toronto is ranked 20th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Boston ranks 17th in defensive rebounds.
The Boston Celtics rank second in steals, with an average of 9.4 per game. When the Toronto Raptors allow at least 9 steals, they have a superb 12-3 record.
