The Toronto Raptors will face the Boston Celtics on Friday, December 29, at the TD Garden Arena in Boston. This will be the first time both teams will face each other in the 2023–24 season. The Toronto Raptors are still winless against Boston and will look to pick up a win at TD Garden. Toronto can take advantage of Celtic’s schedule as the home team will be playing the second match back-to-back. The Celtics are coming off a thrilling win against the Detroit Pistons. They were pushed to the limit in the last match, but Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis saved them.
The Raptors have lost eight of their last eleven games and will face the Celtics now, who have not lost at home in 15 games. Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes and O.G. Anunoby will have to bring their best games against the team with the best record in the league.
Preview
Toronto’s last two victories came against the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards. Both teams are currently the worst in terms of defense. So the Raptors can’t afford a sluggish effort on the defensive end if they want to beat the Celtics. Boston was relieved and looked tired after overcoming a 19-point deficit to defeat the Detroit Pistons in overtime. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are uncertain, as both were questionable heading into the Pistons game. Brown was ultimately ruled out and Tatum played the game. If both players are unavailable, it will be a tough game for the Celtics.
Starting Lineup for both teams
The expected starting lineup for the Raptors is Pascal Siakam, Gary Trent Jr., Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl and O.G. Anunoby. While the Celtics starting lineup might look like this: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. If Jaylen Brown and Porzingis are ruled out, Al Horford, Sam Hauser and Lamar Stevens might get included.
Prediction
Boston Celtics are the favorites to win this game and the moneyline for them is -390 while for the Raptors it is +310. Toronto Raptors are underdogs for this game, while the Boston Celtics are undefeated at home. But they might face some trouble defeating the underdogs on the second night of a back-to-back schedule.
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