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The reigning NBA champions are one step away from returning home, so Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics promises an exciting battle.
Kick-off is set for 6:40 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 9, so we’ve put together all the betting tips and trends needed for this Atlantic Division showdown along with our best bet selection and latest odds update. .
Injuries / Suspensions
The Celtics miss Gordon Hayward (ankle) for the rest of the series, while Vincent Poirier (staff) is also unavailable. The Raptors do not have Patrick McCaw (knee), while Serge Ibaka (ankle) appears questionable.
The line
Boston is a 3-point favorite on BetAmerica right now. The Celtics are -150 favorites in the money line on the same platform, and the Raptors are +130 dogs to win outright. Totals are set at 210.0 points at Sugarhouse.
What is at stake?
The Raptors season is on the line, and the reigning champions will try their best to force Game 7.
Point
The Celtics opened the semifinals with a pair of victories (112-94 and 102-99), but the Raptors responded immediately and tied the series at 2-2, beating Boston 104-103 and 100-93. However, the Celtics dismantled the Raptors 111-89 in Game 5 last Monday.
Both Boston and Toronto swept their first-round series, so fatigue is not a factor.
The match
Interestingly, the previous five games in this series were under, and on four occasions, one of the teams failed to break a 100-point line. The under is now 12-6-1 in the previous 19 meetings between the Celtics and Raptors, while Boston is 8-4 SU and 9-3 ATS in its last 12 meetings with Toronto.
Defense is a key factor in this showdown, and the Celtics were exquisite in Game 5. They limited the Raptors with 38.8% shooting from the field and 30.0% from beyond the arc. The Celtics allowed just 35 points in the first half and went on to win.
All of the Celtics starters scored in double figures, and Jaylen Brown led the way with 27 points on 10-of-18 field goals. On the other hand, Fred VanVleet had 18 points and five assists, but Pascal Siakam scored just 10 points and found himself in foul trouble again.
The Raptors certainly need more from Siakam, while Marc Gasol went scoreless on Monday. The reigning champions desperately need to establish their low post game after scoring just 32 points in the paint in Game 5.
Back in Game 4, the Raptors scored 26 points in the paint and shot just 39.5% from the field. They managed to escape with a victory only because the Celtics had a terrible shooting night, making seven of their 35 attempts from deep.
Toronto has to do a much better job on both sides of the ball, especially on the offensive side, or this will be the end of the road for the Raptors.
The bets
I mentioned that the previous five contests were below and I hope to see more of the same. Both teams lean on their defense and it’s hard to expect a firecracker after what we’ve seen in this series so far.
Therefore, I go with the lowest in the totals with a probability of -110. The Celtics seem like a better team than the Raptors, and they should finish the job on Wednesday, but I still like the totals better even though the -150 odds from the money line in Boston are a fair price.
