Game 7 Predictions & Odds: Celtics vs. Raptors

• September 10, 2020
• By Michael Crosson
• VegasInsider.com

The NBA Bubble in Orlando, Florida will have another Game 7 on Friday, the third one in this year's postseason.

For this matchup, it will be the No. 2 Toronto Raptors meeting the No. 3 Boston Celtics in the series finale.

Betting Resources

• Matchup: Eastern Conference Game 7
• Second Round: Series tied 3-3
• Expert Picks: Vegas Insiders
• Venue: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
• Location: Orlando, Florida
• Date: Friday, Sept. 11, 2020
• Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT
• Bet: BetMGM | BetRivers | FanDuel | PointsBet | All

The 'over' connected in Game 6 on Wednesday and that outcome snapped a run of five straight 'under' tickets in this series. (AP)

Betting Odds - Celtics vs. Raptors

Line Movements

Following an exhilarating 125-122 double-overtime win on Wednesday night to force a Game 7, Toronto heads into the series finale on Friday as 2.5-point underdogs, despite being the higher seed and the victors in the Game 6 contest.

Game 6 of this series would have been the sixth straight ‘under’ between these teams if it wasn’t for overtime, as the score of Wednesday’s contest was deadlocked at 98 when regulation concluded. The ‘over-under’ for the series finale sits at OU 203.5 as the oddsmakers continue to let this line plummet, attempting to make the line look enticing to ‘over-bettors.’

• Spread: Boston -2.5
• Money-Line: Boston -135, Toronto +115
• Total: 204
• Updated Series Price: Boston -135, Toronto +115

Game 7 - NBA Bubble Notes

This year's NBA Playoffs from the neutral courts inside the NBA Bubble has had two Game 7's so far and the designated home team has gone 2-0 but both victories came exactly by two points. The 'under' connected in both games too, rather easily.

First Round

• Houston (-5.5) 104 vs. Oklahoma City 102, Under 217
• Denver (-1.5) 80 vs. Utah 78, Under 217.5

If you included the above results, home teams have gone 105-28 all-time in Game 7's of the NBA Playoffs.

Game 6 Recap

Basketball fans should be so grateful for NBA coming together and finding a solid plan to finish this season because if they threw in the towel for the year back in March, there would not be any basketball being played right now, and that would be a shame because teams like the Raptors and Celtics are spoiling us with seven-game series that are jam-packed with emotion and action in the heart of September.

Game 6 was no different as these teams had their most intense battle of the series so far, which resulted in a three-point double-overtime win for Raptors behind a gutsy 33-point outing from Kyle Lowry.

The ‘under’ is 5-1 in this series so far, with the only ‘over’ cashing in OT on Wednesday night, but take note Toronto and Boston were tied 98-98 when the clock struck zero in the fourth.

Elimination from the bubble is at stake now for both teams on Friday night – should be a great game.

Game 6 Betting Results

Outcome: Raptors 125, Celtics 122 (2OT)

After watching the first quarter and first-half, many would've thought this series should have ended on Wednesday and Boston came out with another great defensive effort.

Toronto managed to finally solve the Celtics and its offensive efforts helped them keep the series alive, plus the two extra sessions of overtime helped 'over' tickets connect.

• Game: Raptors Win, Raptors Cover (+3), Over (210)
• First Quarter: Celtics Win (25-21), Celtics Cover (-0.5), Under (53.5)
• First-Half: Celtics Win (52-48), Celtics Cover (-1), Under (106)
• Second-Half: Raptors Win (77-70), Raptors Cover (PK), Under (104.5)

Celtics vs. Raptors
How to Handicap Game 7

(SU-Straight Up, ATS - Against the Spread, OU - Over-Under)

Celtics Betting Outlook

Inside the Stats

• Bubble: 12-6 SU, 10-7-1 ATS, 6-11-1 O/U
• Playoffs: 7-3 SU, 6-4 ATS, 2-8 O/U

I am not sure if Brad Stevens drew it up this way or not, but Game 6 was nothing less than the Jaylen Brown show as the Florida State product scored 31 points on 30 shot attempts throughout the course of the game, shooting just 36.7% from the field and 30.8% from deep.

Jayson Tatum, on the other hand, nearly matched Brown’s point-total on Wednesday night (29 points), but he only attempted 21 field goals during the Celtics’ loss, shooting at a much more efficient clip of 42.9% from the field and 50% from downtown. Tatum appeared content playing second-fiddle to Brown in the first half of Game 6 while Boston led the Raptors, and it came back in the end to bite them in the end.

The Celtics were never able to create enough separation from the second seed in the West, leading to Toronto forcing OT. I expect Tatum to easily be this game’s leading scorer – win or loss for Boston.

Raptors Betting Outlook

Inside the Stats

• Bubble: 14-4 SU, 11-7 ATS, 5-12-1 O/U
• Playoffs: 7-3 SU, 5-5 ATS, 4-6 O/U

They might not have Kawhi Leonard anymore, but the Raptors have proven in this series that they still are the most resilient team in the NBA, and their toughness was on display again in the bubble during their 125-122 OT victory on Wednesday to force a seventh game with Boston.

It does not always show up on the stat-sheet, but the Lowry-Van Fleet guard duo carries the perfect mindset and style of play for the Raptors young talent in a defensive series; they are just a little under-sized and short in the talent department compared to the Celtics and it has shown through Marcus Smart’s success over the last six contests.

I expect Van Fleet and Lowry to step up and have big games in this series finale. The real X-Factor in Game 7 should be Pascal Siakam’s ability to contain Tatum, while the ex-Duke star is in full attack mode in the midst of a desperate situation.

Key Injuries

Boston

• PG Tremont Waters: Knee - Out
• C Vincent Poirier: Personal - Out
• SG Javonte Green: Knee - Out
• SF Gordon Hayward: Ankle - Out

Gordon Hayward continues to be the headliner on the injury report in this series, as the Celtics’ forward is expected to miss at least another week of play if Boston were to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Other than that, all hands should be on deck for this Game 7 tilt as Toronto and Boston fight for its lives inside the Orlando bubble.

Toronto

• SF Oshae Brissett: Knee - Out
• SF Patrick McCaw: Knee - Out

Game 7 Best Bet Picks

The Celtics were just an OG Anunoby Game 3 buzzer-beater away from going up 3-0 on the Raptors in this series, and now find themselves in a crucial winner-take-all game that would have taken place in Toronto if it was a Covid-free world. Game 7 was meant to be played in the Scotiabank Arena.

If that were the case, I might have been inclined to fade a young, inexperienced Boston team playing in a hostile environment, but lucky for them it is not. I am therefor rolling with the Celtics -2 here as I believe they have the best player on the floor in Jayson Tatum, and he will be the determining factor in Boston’s advancement to the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday night.

Score Prediction:

Celtics 103 Raptors 98