The Boston Celtics are one of the best teams in the league, as they’re coming off an NBA Finals appearance. The Toronto Raptors hope they can find themselves back in serious contention for a championship, as they have a ton of great pieces in place.
For now, both the Celtics vs Raptors best bets are to build team chemistry the right way and do everything they can to build a culture around winning basketball.
Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors
There is going to be a ton of young talent going up in this one which may make it difficult to have a firm Celtics vs Raptors best bets prediction, as Jayson Tatum will be facing off against Pascal Siakam.
Both forwards earned All-NBA honors last season, as they hope to carry their teams even further this upcoming season.
Raptors and Celtics’ Last Matchup
The Celtics are 2-1 thus far this preseason, as their only loss came to the Raptors. As for the Raptors, they have dropped their last two preseason games after winning their first two.
Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors Analysis
It’s preseason, so there’s not much to make of their last couple of losses when it comes to a regular season standpoint, but with the NBA season looming, which means NBA matchups will actually count for something, the Celtics may look to play some of their regulars more so they can feel ready to start the season.
How the Celtics Will Make It Without Udoka?
The biggest questions the Celtics will have to answer are how well this team can hold up without Ime Udoka and how well Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can continue to coexist as a duo.
The Raptors hope they can get Scottie Barnes to develop into one of the elite wings in this league, as he has shown flashes of being a great scorer and defender.
The Raptors are a team that will look to push the pace and move the ball around, as they prioritize winning basketball above all. They’re also a sound defensive team.
Odds Breakdown
Boston Celtics
The Celtics vs Raptors best bets should lean more towards the Celtics in this one, as they will look to develop good habits with the NBA season approaching.
The Celtics are favored by a -1.5 spread in this one even though they’ll be on the road for this one.
Some Extended Run
The Celtics may or may not elect to give Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown some extended run, as both hope they can carry over the chemistry from last season and build on it so they can get the job done next June and bring a championship back to Beantown.
The Celtics will almost certainly be looking to sit their vets down in a preseason game and keep their legs fresh for the grind of the regular season, so we will almost certainly not be seeing the best version of this team.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are still a very good team and can make this game competitive, but the best option is to pick the Celtics to win and cover the spread.
Positioning in the Eastern Conference
But these two teams should be expected to be in the mix for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference, so expect to see some exciting basketball.
The Raptors will likely look to run Scottie Barnes out there for as much as they can, as they want him to get comfortable with the grind of the NBA and give him some extended run to build his confidence and get him conditioned for when the games get real.
Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors Betting Pick and Prediction
The Raptors are a young team that is looking to build chemistry, and the best way for them to do that is to use the preseason as a chance to run set plays that were worked on in training camp and start to get an understanding of your teammates’ tendencies.
The Raptors like to run, and with their home crowd behind them, they should be able to pick up the win.
NBA Pick: Raptors +1.5 (-110)
NBA Pick: Under 221 (-110)
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