Raptors vs Celtics Online Betting Odds
The Toronto Raptors end a brief two-game road trip at TD Garden on Wednesday night where they will take on the Boston Celtics. Toronto has dropped four of its last five games, while Boston has dropped 13 of its last 17 games.[ad-4468020]
Toronto Raptors (39-31) at Boston Celtics (23-47)
Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Venue: TD Garden
City: Boston, Massachusetts
O/U Odds: 195
Spread: Toronto -2.5
[dfads params=’groups=63740&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
ATS Matchup Insight | CappersPicks Insider Preview
It’s been a while since the Raptors’ claim on the top spot in the Atlantic Division has come into question, but that is the case now as the hard-charging Brooklyn Nets are within 1 ½ games of the conference’s top spot.
With Brooklyn playing the way they are, Toronto knows they need to get back into the win column.
No one on the team has worked harder to do that than point guard Kyle Lowry.
He has scored 20 or more points in his last seven games, and has no fewer than 19 points in his last 10 games. Lowry has been rock solid for the team through the entire month of March.
CLICK GRAB OUR BEST Expert Hoops Picks for 2014 GAMBLING season!
His averages really tell the story of a player playing his heart out. Lowry is averaging 20.8 points, 8.0 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 2.7 three-pointers, and 1.9 steals, while knocking down 40.5 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.
Lowry had 22 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, three three-pointers, and three steals in the team’s last game, a 102-100 loss in Cleveland.
As for Boston, they’re right in the thick of a painful re-build right now, and while no one in the organization will throw the word “tank” around, it’s becoming painfully obvious to onlookers, particularly with the team picking up just three wins in their last 17 games. Still, the franchise has won 20 of 22 when hosting Toronto, including 11 in a row.
[ad-6571516]
A very different Celtics team will take the court on Wednesday night. Point guard Rajon Rondo is a mainstay from those other Celtics teams. He’s done a great job of distributing the basketball of late, averaging 12.0 assists compared to 1.7 turnovers over his last six games, though he’s averaged just 9.0 points on 29.9 percent shooting in those contests.
The Celtics have dominated this series in recent years, particularly when playing in their own building, going 8-0-1 ATS when hosting the Raptors, and 20-7-1 ATS in the last 28 meetings between the teams overall.
However, this is a very different Raptors team, and a very different Celtics team – one that isn’t built for winning.
The Raptors already have a win over the Celtics this season, and know that they can’t afford to give away any more winnable games.
After dropping the first game of their road trip, expect a focused Toronto team to hit the court on this night, one hoping to sweep their next three games against the bottom dwellers of the Eastern Conference so as to reclaim control of the Atlantic Division.
The Raptors are 18-8 ATS in their last 26 road games.
The play: Toronto -2.5
