There are seven games on the NBA betting board on Saturday, beginning with an Eastern Conference clash between the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors.
The Celtics enter Canada on an eight-game win streak, while the Raptors desperately need to turn things around as they tumble down the standings and trade rumors swirl around their best players.
The Raps will benefit from the absence of Jayson Tatum but the Celtics are still 1-point road favorites with the Over/Under at 226. Here is my best free Celtics vs. Raptors NBA picks and predictions for January 21.
Celtics vs Raptors best odds
Celtics vs Raptors picks and predictions
The Toronto Raptors seem to be in a downward spiral and are coming off back-to-back losses to shorthanded teams. However, not everything is negative in the T-Dot, with the Raptors filling up the net lately and Scottie Barnes starting to play like the guy we all expected after he won Rookie of the Year last season.
Barnes has been more aggressive in looking for his shot lately and that has paid off. The sophomore has dropped more than 20 points in four of his last five games and is averaging 19.5 points per game in 10 contests this month.
He also scored 21 points against the Celtics when these teams last met up on December 3. With the O/U on Barnes points total set at a modest 16.5, thanks to his inconsistent production earlier in the season, take the Over.
My best bet: Scottie Barnes Over 16.5 points (-115 at PointsBet)
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Celtics vs Raptors spread analysis
It feels almost strange that a completely healthy Raptors team is at home, against another team missing its best player, and is installed as an underdog. But that's simply how bad the Raptors have looked lately.
The Raps are coming off a defeat where they collapsed in the fourth quarter against a short-handed Timberwolves side. The Raps are now six games below .500 and are 29th in the league in field goal percentage (44.9%) while ranking 27th in opponent FG% (48.8%).
The Celtics have the best record in the NBA at 34-12, lead the league in net rating (+6.6), and have won eight games in a row. That said, the C's will be without their best player in Jayson Tatum (31.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 4.3 apg) who will sit out due to a sore wrist.
Tatum has previously only missed two games this season, a 130-121 victory against the Wizards and a 95-92 loss to the Magic. In his absence, Jaylen Brown (26.9 ppg) will take over as Boston's No. 1 scoring option while Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White will need to step up on offense.
The Raps have struggled in half-court sets and have done their best work by forcing turnovers at a high rate and turning them into the third-most fastbreak points per game in the league (17.8). However, the Celtics rank fifth in the league in both turnover rate (12.9%) and fastbreak ppg allowed (12.5) so don't expect many easy buckets in transition for the home side.
Toronto has a solid lineup, with every starter averaging over 15 ppg. However, the Raps' bench is weak and head coach Nick Nurse has made some puzzling substitutions during games. In addition, players like Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby seem to be wearing down from their heavy workloads.
The Raptors are significantly better at home, where they have gone 14-11 SU with an average scoring margin of +2.0 ppg. That said, the Celtics have been winning on the road, going 16-7 SU, and they travel well to Toronto going 10-1 ATS in their last 11 trips to Scotiabank Arena.
Celtics vs Raptors Over/Under analysis
The Celtics are second in the league in scoring at 118.8 ppg but it's tough to know just how good they'll be on offense without Tatum. Are they the team that dropped 130 on the Wizards in November, or the squad that was held to 92 points by the Magic in December?
That said, the Raps are coming off a pair of ugly defensive performances against teams that were missing their best offensive players. They surrendered 130 points on Tuesday to the Bucks, who were missing Giannis Antetokounmpo, and they gave up 128 points on Thursday to a Wolves side that has been without Karl-Anthony Towns for two months.
For their part, the Raptors have been in some high-scoring shootouts lately despite continuing to play at a slower pace. Over their last six games, they are averaging an incredible 121.7 ppg but they are also allowing 121.2 ppg during that span.
I mentioned that Barnes seems to have rediscovered his scoring touch but point guard Fred VanVleet has also been red-hot and is averaging 32.3 ppg and 8.3 apg over the last three games.
Celtics vs Raptors betting trend to know
The Celtics are 24-10-1 ATS in their last 35 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. Find more NBA betting trends for Celtics vs. Raptors.
Celtics vs Raptors game info
| Location: | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON |
| Date: | Saturday, January 21, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 5:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NBCS-WA, TSN |
Celtics vs Raptors key injuries
