Halftime Report
This game looks nothing like the tight 126-123 margin from the Celtics’ win over the Raptors in their previous head-to-head back in November. The Celtics have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Raptors 90-53.
If the Celtics keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 24-9 in no time. On the other hand, the Raptors will have to make due with a 7-26 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Toronto Raptors @ Boston Celtics
Current Records: Toronto 7-25, Boston 23-9
How To Watch
- When: Tuesday, December 31, 2024 at 3 p.m. ET
- Where: TD Garden — Boston, Massachusetts
- TV: NBC Sports Boston
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $148.00
What to Know
The Celtics will be playing the full four quarters on Tuesday, but they’re expected to have things wrapped up well before that. They will play host again on Tuesday to welcome the Toronto Raptors, where tip off is scheduled at 3:00 p.m. ET at TD Garden. The Celtics are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they’ve averaged 119.5 points per game this season.
Last Sunday, the Celtics couldn’t handle the Pacers and fell 123-114.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Jaylen Brown, who went 13 for 21 en route to 31 points plus six assists. Jayson Tatum was another key player, almost dropping a double-double on 22 points and nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Raptors’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Sunday after their tenth straight defeat. They wound up on the wrong side of a painful 136-107 walloping at the hands of the Hawks. That’s two games in a row now that Toronto has lost by exactly 29 points.
Boston has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 23-9 record this season. As for Toronto, their loss dropped their record down to 7-25.
Keep an eye on the arc in Tuesday’s contest: The Celtics have made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having averaged 18.4 threes per game. It’s a different story for the Raptors, though, as they’ve been averaging only 11.4. Given the Celtics’ sizable advantage in that area, the Raptors will need to find a way to close that gap.
The Celtics came out on top in a nail-biter against the Raptors when the teams last played back in November, sneaking past 126-123. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was the Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl, who dropped a double-double on 35 points and 12 rebounds. Now that he’s got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Celtics still be able to contain Poeltl? There’s only one way to find out.
Odds
Boston is a big 17-point favorite against Toronto, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Celtics as a 17.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 233.5 points.
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Series History
Boston has won 9 out of their last 10 games against Toronto.
- Nov 16, 2024 – Boston 126 vs. Toronto 123
- Jan 15, 2024 – Boston 105 vs. Toronto 96
- Dec 29, 2023 – Boston 120 vs. Toronto 118
- Nov 17, 2023 – Boston 108 vs. Toronto 105
- Nov 11, 2023 – Boston 117 vs. Toronto 94
- Apr 07, 2023 – Boston 121 vs. Toronto 102
- Apr 05, 2023 – Boston 97 vs. Toronto 93
- Jan 21, 2023 – Boston 106 vs. Toronto 104
- Dec 05, 2022 – Boston 116 vs. Toronto 110
- Mar 28, 2022 – Toronto 115 vs. Boston 112
