Boston Celtics vs Toronto Raptors Prediction, 1/4/2021 NBA Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Boston Celtics vs Toronto Raptors

Date: Monday, January 4, 2021

Location: Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL

TV: NBC Sports Boston

Odds/Point Spread: Boston (+2.5)

The Boston Celtics (3-3) head to Amalie Arena on Monday where they'll meet the Toronto Raptors (1-4). Toronto opens this matchup as 2.5-point favorites. The over/under is set at 214.5.

The Boston Celtics played the Detroit Pistons and ended up losing by a score of 96-93 in their last game. Boston finished having earned a 47.0% FG percentage (39 of 83) and buried 8 of 31 3-pointers. At the charity stripe, the Celtics buried 7 of 14 tries for a percentage of 50.0%. With respect to rebounding, they earned 45 with 7 of them being of the offensive sort. They also doled out 20 assists for the matchup while getting 12 steals and 10 blocked shots. In the matter of defending, Boston allowed the other team to go 40.9% from the floor on 36 out of 88 shooting. Detroit totaled 18 assists and had 9 steals in the game. Additionally, the Pistons snagged 48 boards (13 offensive, 35 defensive) and got 2 blocked shots. Detroit finished the contest at 65.0% from the charity stripe by knocking down 13 of 20 shots. They knocked down 11 of 34 attempts from 3-point land.

Jayson Tatum is a player who was a major contributor in this game. He recorded 28 points on 11 of 24 shooting. He played for 37:04 mins played and also totaled 6 boards. Tatum finished the contest at 45.8% from the field and dished out 2 assists. Someone else that had an impact in this matchup for the Celtics was Jaylen Brown. He collected 9 boards and also tallied 2 assists. He ended up going 60.0% from the floor for this contest by going 12-of-20 (25 points). When the final whistle was blown, Brown played 37:34 minutes.

Boston heads into this one with a win-loss mark of 3-3 on the season. They cough up possession 15.2 times per game and as a basketball team they commit 19.7 fouls on a nightly basis. As a team, Boston is pulling down 42.3 boards per game and has accounted for 135 assists this season, which ranks 17th in the league in terms of passing the rock. The Celtics are hitting 37.4% from downtown (68 of 182) and 71.4% from the charity stripe. They have an average of 109.8 points per game (16th in the league) while connecting on 47.6% from the floor. Defensively, the Celtics are able to force 17.3 turnovers per contest while drawing 19.3 fouls. They give up 35.8% on 3-point shots and they are 14th in the league in PPG from their opponents (111.0). The Celtics defense is allowing an opponent shooting percentage of 48.4% (104 of 116) and they relinquish 43.7 rebounds per game as a squad. They are currently ranked 15th in basketball in giving up assists to the opposition with 134 relinquished on the year.

The last time they took the court, the Toronto Raptors took a loss by a final score of 120-116 against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Raptors collected 29 defensive boards and 10 offensive boards for a total of 39 in this contest. They also rejected 4 shots while getting 6 steals in this contest. The Pelicans were called for 18 fouls in this matchup which got the Raptors to the charity stripe for 27 attempts. They were able to convert 26 of the free throw tries for a rate of 96.3%. In relation to shooting from downtown, Toronto made 14 out of 48 tries (29.2%). In all, the Raptors went 38 out of 91 from the floor which had them shooting 41.8%. The Raptors permitted the Pelicans to bury 35 of 83 attempts from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 42.2% in the game. They went 36.8% from 3-point land by shooting 14 of 38 and ended up going 36 of 47 at the charity stripe (76.6%). With respect to rebounds, Toronto permitted New Orleans to pull down 51 overall (15 on the offensive side).

Fred VanVleet ended up being a major contributor for the Raptors for this contest. He converted 9 of 23 in this game giving him a field goal percentage of 39.1%, which got him 27 points. VanVleet snagged 8 boards in his 39:39 minutes of playing time and had 5 dimes in this contest. Someone else that ended being a contributor for Toronto was Chris Boucher. He walked away with 24 points in 28:33 minutes on the court via 7 out of 13 from the floor for the matchup. Boucher walked away from this one going 53.8% from the field while also contributing 2 assists and 5 rebounds.

Toronto has a record of 1-4 for the year. In terms of offensive execution, the Raptors are shooting 41.4% from the floor, which is 29th in basketball. Toronto has accounted for 522 pts on the campaign (104.4 per contest) and they grab 44.0 rebounds per game. They are dishing out assists 24.2 times per contest (15th in the NBA) and they are losing possession via turnover 16.0 times per contest. The Raptors are committing 24.8 personal fouls every game and they hit 82.0% from the free throw line. The Raptors defensively are ranked 9th in the NBA in points allowed per game with 107.0. They are forcing 18.4 TO's per game and have let teams shoot 43.2% from the floor (5th in basketball). The Toronto defense gives up 32.0% on shots from beyond the arc (58 of 181) and their opponents are making 74.3% of their free throw shots. They surrender 26.8 assists and 50.2 boards on a nightly basis, which has them ranked 26th and 28th in the NBA.

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Boston (+2.5)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here