Stadium: TD Garden.
Boston, Massachusets.
31.12.2024 23:00
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Boston
The Celtics hit a bit of a slump at the start of the second quarter of the regular season, meaning they only managed to win one out of two home games against Indiana (142:105 and 114:123). Before that, they'd lost at home to Philadelphia (114:118) and away to Orlando (104:108) on Christmas Day; and even earlier, they'd surprisingly beaten Chicago (108:117 at home and 123:98 away) who were thought to be inferior. Now, the Celtics have nine losses in 32 games since the start of the championship. Joe Mazzulla's team is falling further and further behind Cleveland, who lead the Eastern Conference, but if they carry on like this, they'll lose second place.The Knicks, currently in third, are just 1.0 wins behind.
Toronto
The Raptors, with a 7-25 record, share 13th place in the Eastern Conference with Charlotte and are ahead of only Washington. Darko Rajakovic's team is already 7.0 wins behind the top-10, the play-in zone, and is unlikely to solve this season's tournament problems. In the previous game Toronto at home defeated Atlanta (107:136), suffering its tenth consecutive defeat. Before that, the Raptors had conceded almost 300 points in two games with Memphis (126:155) and New York (125:139), and they've got worse at defending (119.1 points per game on average) – they're now 26th in the league for that.
Expert Betting Tips
Boston, after a run of poor performances, will be out for revenge in the next game, and there's a good chance they'll crush the Raptors. It's hard to see why Toronto, one of the main underdogs this season, will be able to put up much of a fight against the motivated reigning champions. We're going for Boston's victory and a total over, given that Toronto is fourth from the bottom in defensive efficiency ratings. Another option for betting could be a TO of assists.
Other predictions
