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USATSI

The Toronto Raptors (40-40) will try to remain in contention for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference when they visit the Boston Celtics (55-25) on Friday night. Boston notched a 97-93 victory when these teams met on Wednesday, as the Celtics clinched the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Toronto must win both remaining games to have a chance of moving up in the NBA standings. 

Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from TD Garden. Boston is favored by 1 point in the latest Celtics vs. Raptors odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 222.5. Before entering any Raptors vs. Celtics picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model enters the final week of the 2022-23 NBA regular season a stunning 71-36 on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Celtics vs. Raptors. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Raptors vs. Celtics:

  • Celtics vs. Raptors spread: Celtics +1
  • Celtics vs. Raptors money line: Boston -120, Toronto +100
  • Celtics vs. Raptors over/under: 222.5 points
  • Celtics vs. Raptors picks: See picks here

Why the Celtics can cover

Boston clinched the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with its win over Toronto on Wednesday, despite being a 1.5-point underdog. Small forward Jaylen Brown had 25 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, while point guard Malcolm Brogdon had 29 points off the bench. The Celtics shut down Toronto from the perimeter, holding the Raptors to a 6 of 33 mark from 3-point range. 

Mike Muscala scored 12 points in just his third start with Boston, showcasing the team's depth that allows them to overcome key absences. Toronto is on the road for the final game of a five-game road trip that has included losses to Philadelphia and Boston. The Raptors are 1-5 straight up and against the spread in their last six games against the Celtics. 

Why the Raptors can cover

Boston comes into this game with significantly less motivation than it had when these teams met on Wednesday. The Celtics were still fighting to clinch the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they have locked up that position heading into the final two games of the regular season. They have multiple key players listed as questionable for Friday's game, including Brogdon, Marcus Smart and Derrick White. 

Toronto has a healthy lineup after Gary Trent Jr. returned from injury on Wednesday. Pascal Siakam led the Raptors with 28 points and 11 rebounds, and they should shoot better as a team in the rematch. Toronto has won five of its last seven games and is still trying to move up in the standings, giving the Raptors a mental edge in this contest. 

How to make Celtics vs. Raptors picks

The model has simulated Raptors vs. Celtics 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick where one side hits in almost 70% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Celtics vs. Raptors? And which side of the spread hits almost 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine to see which side of the Raptors vs. Celtics spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.