The Toronto Raptors won for just the second time since December 5 with their victory over the Golden State Warriors on Monday, but do they have any hope of doing the unthinkable and turning this into a winning streak as massive underdogs against the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics?
Oddsmakers don’t like their chances, particularly with Immanuel Quickley sidelined again. But IQ’s absence creates an opportunity for another young Toronto sharpshooter.
My Celtics vs Raptors predictions and NBA picks for this Atlantic Division matchup are headlined by a Gradey Dick prop ahead of the 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
Raptors vs Celtics prediction
My Raptors pick
Gradey Dick Over 11.5 Points (-120 at PointsBet Canada)
My analysis
The Toronto Raptors got a much-needed win on Monday night — unless you think they need to lose every game to improve their chances for Cooper Flagg.
Either way, they took down Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors 104-101 as 5-point home underdogs. Things get a little more difficult because the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics are next in line, and oddsmakers have the Raptors as massive 14.5-point pups tonight.
The Celtics are cruising through the regular season at 28-11 while the Raptors are 9-31. Oh, and the last time these teams met, the C’s demolished the Raps 125-71 on New Year's Eve.
But one thing the Raptors didn’t have in that game was sophomore sharpshooter Gradey Dick. And with starting guard Immanuel Quickley sidelined with a hip injury, Dick can rise to the occasion and jack up some more shots.
Dick is making a solid jump in his development in Year 2, averaging 16.3 points while shooting 35.3% from 3-point range. Now, his production has been up and down relative to the Raptors injury situation.
But with IQ out, I like Dick’s chances of going Over his modest points prop total of 11.5. Dick has gone Over this number in each of his last two games and has hit six of his 14 attempts from three (42.9%) during those games.
Boston is obviously a tough matchup, but it ranks a middling 15th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage and Dick gets 6.8 threes up per game. Plus, the Raptors play at the sixth-fastest pace in the NBA at home.
There is also the chance Boston blows out Toronto again and Dick can pad his stats in garbage time. Either way, I like him to go Over this number tonight and so do our covers NBA player prop projections, which have Dick set at 14.1 points.
Raptors vs Celtics same-game parlay
Gradey Dick Over 11.5 points
Gradey Dick 3+ threes
Derrick White 15+ points
If Dick goes Over this point total, he probably hits a handful of threes in the process. So, let’s double down on Dick here and make three or more treys.
Dick has hit at least three triples in eight of his last 17 games dating back to Dec. 5 when he returned from missing several games with a calf injury. Dick is shooting 36.5% from beyond the arc during that period.
But Dick won’t be the only shooting guard who gets hot tonight. Let’s add Celtics guard Derrick White to hit his alt-point total of 15+.
White is averaging 16.4 points per game while shooting 37.9% from 3-point range. Now, he’s been in a bit of a shooting slump lately, but a matchup with the Raptors should fix that. Toronto ranks 27th in defensive rating and allows the fourth-most made threes per game. And in two matchups against the Raps this season he's scored 16 and 18 points, respectively.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Raptors vs Celtics odds
Raptors vs Celtics live odds
Raptors vs Celtics opening odds
- Spread: Toronto +12.5 | Boston -12.5
- Moneyline: Toronto +475 | Boston -650
- Over/Under: Over 229.5 | Under 229.5
Odds courtesy of PointsBet Canada
Raptors vs Celtics spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Raptors opened this Atlantic Division matchup as big 12.5-point home underdogs but that hasn't stopped bettors from backing the Celtics, moving the spread to 14.5.
- Maybe the Raptors losing this matchup by a whopping 54 points back on Dec. 31 has something to do with that. That plus the fact Boston ranks third in the NBA in net rating while Toronto ranks 27th.
- The total hit the board at 229.5 and has yet to see much action as of early Wednesday afternoon.
- I would lean Over here considering the Raptors' pace of play and their poor defense. Toronto also usually gets a boost playing at home.
Raptors vs Celtics trend
The Raptors have hit the Game Total Over in 18 of their last 26 games at home for +9.20 Units and a 32% ROI. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Celtics.
How to watch Raptors vs Celtics
| Location: | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Canada |
| Date: | Wednesday, 1-15-2025 |
| Tip-off: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NBCSB, SN |
Raptors vs Celtics latest injuries
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