NBA Regular Season 2023/24, Saturday, 18.11.2023
The Raptors start the NBA In-Season Tournament with Dennis Schröder on Friday night. The team from Toronto is currently number 11 in the Eastern Conference with a record of 5-6.
However, this record is only good enough for last place in the Atlantic Division. The Celtics, who currently lead the East with nine wins and two losses, are the visitors at Scotiabank Arena.
In addition, Boston won the top game at the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday and is on a four-game winning streak. For these reasons, coach Joe Mazzulla’s men are the clear favorites.
I come to the same conclusion in my Raptors vs Celtics betting tip and bet with odds of 1.60 at Interwetten on the bet “Victory Boston Celtics with HC -4.5”
At the best bookies in the sportsbook comparison, the visitors are the favorites with a spread of minus 6.5 points. This means that the Raptors vs Celtics prediction for an away win has average odds of 1.36.
On the other side, a win for the home side is rewarded with average odds of 3.20. The two teams met just over a week ago in Boston
The home side celebrated a clear 117:94 victory. The team from Massachusetts also leads the overall comparison quite clearly with 67 wins to 42 defeats.
Overall, the Celtics have won the last five duels against the Raptors
The Toronto Raptors have been bobbing around in mid-table in the NBA for some time now. And there is still no real improvement in sight this year. More than the play-in-tournament is probably not possible.
The clear 112-128 loss against Milwaukee during the week was the sixth defeat in eleven games. For the second game in a row, the team from Canada fell behind by more than 20 points.
Against Washington on Monday, the men of rookie coach Darko Rajakovic were able to turn the game around to win 111-107. Against the Bucks, however, all that was possible here was a bit of result cosmetics.
The visitors had to do without their star player Giannis Antetokounmpo for the first time this season. The Raps’ big problem area this season is their offense
With 108.5 points per game, they are only in 26th place, while their defense is doing quite well with the ninth-best points allowed record and the sixth-best rebounding statistics.
World champion Dennis Schröder has also fitted in well with his new team. The German international currently has 7.9 assists per game and is heading for a new career best.
However, Schröder also remained pale against the Bucks, scoring just nine points on a poor shooting percentage. New coach Darko Rajakovic has also not yet got to grips with ball losses.
In the pre-season, the Raptors were number one in the league in points after turnovers. This season, the team from Ontario is just 20th here
This season, the Celtics are determined to win their first title since 2008, having landed a major coup with the trade for Kristaps Porzingis.
And so far, everything is going according to plan. The 76ers had to find out just how good Boston currently is in front of their own fans during the week. Philadelphia conceded a 107-117 defeat.
And that despite the fact that the visitors not only had to do without Porzingis, but also Jaylen Brown. In the second half, the defense of the Whites played great and held the home side to 49 points.
The focus was on Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, who currently have one of the best backcourts in the NBA in defense. And the duo often makes exactly the right play in offense too
The Celts rank 4th in the league with 106 points allowed per game. And the offense also ranks a great fifth with 119.4 points per game. 13.4 points per 100 possessions is even the NBA top value.
They also rank second in shooting percentage at 43.6 percent. So the overall package is just right. The win over the 76ers puts Boston back at the top of the Eastern Conference.
However, Philadelphia follows close behind with eight wins and three defeats. This season, Head Coach Joe Mazzulla’s team is trying to set the course for victory early on with a strong and aggressive start.
The visit to Toronto is the second ACTUAL game for the Celtics. They won the first against the Nets at home 121-107. Whether Brown and Porzingis will be fit again in time is still unclear
Conclusion: The first duel between the two teams a few days ago reflected the balance of power pretty well. The Raps don’t currently have the offensive power to keep up with the Celts.
Toronto have averaged just 105.7 points in their last three games. Boston, on the other hand, has averaged 117.3 points in the last four games.
Above all, the Raptors still have to make do without small forward Ogugua “OG” Anunoby Jr. The visitors from Massachusetts also have clear advantages in defense.
Everything points to a win for the visitors, who I expect to win by at least five points. My Raptors vs Celtics betting tip is therefore: Victory Boston Celtics with HC -4.5.
