Celtics vs. Raptors Monday Prediction
The Toronto Raptors are off to a slow start to the new season, winning just once in their first five games. That said, they’re listed as a small favorite versus the Celtics at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday night. Will the Raptors cover or is there a better bet on the board when it comes to this matchup?
Game Snapshot
581 Boston Celtics (+3) at 582 Toronto Raptors (-3); o/u 215.5
7:30 p.m. ET, Monday, January 4, 2021
Venue: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
TV: N/A
Boston Celtics DFS Spin
Jayson Tatum narrowly missed a triple-double, posting 24 points, a career-high 12 assists, eight rebounds and two blocks on Sunday. While Jaylen Brown (31 points) had the hot hand, Tatum hit the game’s final shot — a smooth midrange jumper over Blake Griffin with 2.9 seconds left to give the Celtics a win. He went 10-of-22 from the floor, 4-of-8 from deep and didn’t turn the ball over once in a game-high 37 minutes. Tatum’s playmaking is the one area his fantasy managers want to see him make a leap in, and he certainly did that on Sunday with half a dozen dimes.
Toronto Raptors DFS Spin
Pascal Siakam played 25 minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Pelicans, finishing with 10 points (4-of-10 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Siakam was back in the starting lineup after being held out of the Raptors’ win over the Knicks on Thursday. While the hope was that he would get back to the level of play that he reached before the bubble, Siakam continues to struggle. And after 25 minutes, he fouled out with more than eight minutes left in the game. “He struggled, there was no doubt about it,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said of Siakam. “He had a few decent plays and a few good drives in there, but again he obviously struggled.” Given his struggles, this would be a good time to looking into taking the “buy low” approach when it comes to Siakam.
Bucks vs. Celtics Betting Prediction
The Celtics have covered in six of their last eight meetings with the Raptors and while Toronto is currently playing in Tampa, FL, Boston is also 6-0 against the number in its last six road games in this series. The Celtics have covered the spread five straight times when playing the second game of a back-to-back, are 10-3-1 at the betting window in their last 14 games following an ATS loss and are 20-6 against the number in their last 26 road games as well.
The Raptors, meanwhile, are just 1-5 against the spread in their last six games overall, have failed to cover in six of their last seven games as a favorite and are winless at the betting window in their last five games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous contest.
NBA BETTING PREDICTION: BOSTON CELTICS +3
