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
- Or: TD Garden – Boston, Massachusetts
- TV: NBC Sports Boston
- Follow: CBS Sports app
- Online broadcast: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket cost: $148.00
What you need to know
The Celtics will play the full four quarters on Tuesday, but they should have things wrapped up well before then. They will play again on Tuesday to host the Toronto Raptors, where the reveal is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET at TD Garden. The Celtics are strutting around with some offensive power as they have 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 made 13 of 21 on his way to 31 points and six assists. Jayson Tatum was another key player, nearly dropping a double-double with 22 points and nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Raptors’ recent rough patch got a little tougher on Sunday after their tenth straight loss. They found themselves on the wrong end of a painful 136-107 loss at the hands of the Hawks. It’s now two games in a row that Toronto has lost by exactly 29 points.
Boston has been on a rocky road recently after losing three of its last four games, which took a major dent in its 23-9 record this season. As for Toronto, their loss dropped their record to 7-25.
Keep an eye on the arc in Tuesday’s game: The Celtics have made deep shots look easy this year, averaging 18.4 threes per game. It’s a different story for the Raptors, as they only have an average of 11.4. Given the Celtics’ considerable advantage in this area, the Raptors will need to find a way to close that gap.
The Celtics prevailed in a close game against the Raptors in the teams’ last game in November, outscoring 126-123. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in this game was the Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl, who had a double-double with 35 points and 12 rebounds. Now that he has a second chance to win this game, 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.
Oddsmakers had a good idea of the line for this one, as the game opened with the Celtics as 17.5-point favorites.
The over/under is 233.5 points.
See NBA Pick for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
Boston has won 9 of its last 10 games against Toronto.
- November 16, 2024 – Boston 126 vs. Toronto 123
- January 15, 2024 – Boston 105 vs. Toronto 96
- December 29, 2023 – Boston 120 vs. Toronto 118
- November 17, 2023 – Boston 108 vs. Toronto 105
- November 11, 2023 – Boston 117 against. Toronto 94
- April 7, 2023 – Boston 121 vs. Toronto 102
- April 5, 2023 – Boston 97 vs. Toronto 93
- January 21, 2023 – Boston 106 vs. Toronto 104
- December 5, 2022 – Boston 116 against. Toronto 110
- March 28, 2022 – Toronto 115 against. Boston 112
