Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics Tips - Raptors to add to Celtics woes with a win

The Boston Celtics take on the Toronto Raptors on Saturday in a key game for both teams. Should the Raptors win, they will go above Boston in both the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference.

Unfortunately for the Celtics, they are struggling to find form and aren’t the team who beat the Raptors back in January, and come into this match off the back of two straight defeats. 

I’m picking the in-form Raptors to defeat the Celtics. Toronto’s confidence is sky-high after their recent annihilation of Washington, and while Boston will surely put up a fight, the Raptors will win by a ten-point or under margin.

The Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics have played each other 98 times, with the Celtics leading their head to head by 58 wins to 40. The Celtics have won four of their five most recent encounters, including a 126-114 win when they last met in January. 

The Raptors are currently 5th in the Eastern Conference, right behind fourth-placed Boston, and they will swap places with the Celtics’ should Toronto beat them on Saturday. The Raptors have won twelve and lost 13 regular season games for a point’s average .480. Clearly the Raptors need to turn things around in the second half of the season if they are to make the playoffs. 

However, recent signs are good; Toronto have won five of their last six games; they registered a 128-113 win over Memphis on Wednesday then demolished Washington by 137-115, the Raptors second highest points tally this season. 

This run of form is largely down to the great play of Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry, although it was Norman Powell who shone for the Raptors vs Washington with 28 points scored. 

Boston are third in the Eastern Conference Atlantic Division, and in danger of slipping to fourth if they lose to the Raptors on Saturday. The Celtics have won 12 and lost 11 for a winning percentage of .522. A playoff place is becoming more distant with every defeat Boston suffer.

After their surprise win a week ago over the LA Clippers, the Celtics have suffered back-to-back losses to the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz. The loss to the high flying Utah was particularly tough, as the Celtics were well beaten 122-108. 

Boston will need standouts Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown to maintain their excellent 26-point game average, while the rest of the team need to step up to their standard, or the Celtics face a season of mediocrity.