The Toronto Raptors will be looking to put the brakes on a two-game losing streak when they travel to Boston on Wednesday to face the Celtics as two-point underdogs on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Toronto is coming off a 116-103 loss to the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
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The Raptors opened the weekend with a 102-101 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers as six-point home chalk on Friday, which put an end to a five-game straight-up win streak. While this past weekend’s defeats slowed down the team’s early-season surge, the Raptors maintain control of eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings – but sit well off the pace on the updated NBA championship odds as a distant +15000 wager.
One piece of good news for the Raptors has been the return to action of Pascal Siakam. The 27-year-old had been sidelined as he recovered from off-season surgery but had an immediate impact in his season debut against the Nets, tallying 15 points and four rebounds in just 25 minutes of action. Conversely, Scottie Barnes saw his production dip to a season-low eight points. However, the 20-year-old continues to sit second on the NBA Rookie of the Year odds as a +400 wager at sports betting sites.
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Wednesday’s contest marks the Raptors’ second trip to Boston so far this season. Toronto romped to a 115-83 win as seven-point underdogs in its first visit to TD Garden on Oct. 22. With that victory, the Raptors snapped a four-game SU losing streak against the Celtics, but they have failed to tally consecutive wins against Boston during the same regular season since January 2017.
The Celtics return home after closing out a three-game road trip with a 107-104 loss in Dallas on Saturday.
While the Celtics managed to cover as 3.5-point underdogs, and had posted SU and against-the-spread wins in the first two outings on their trip, they have struggled badly on home hardwood. Boston has yet to earn an SU win at TD Garden this season, going 0-3 while falling to defeat by an average margin of 18.3 points. The Celtics’ home woes extend a worrisome trend that started late last season, with the team currently enduring a 2-7 SU run in regular-season action, covering just twice in their past 10 home games.
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