The Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics will collide on Friday night in a key Eastern Conference matchup in the NBA. Both teams enter this contest inside the top four in the East standings and will try to get a win that could help their seeding by the time the regular season concludes. The Celtics are slight favorites on their home floor at TD Garden as they aim to maintain their edge over the Raptors in the standings. Here, I break down this big game in the NBA and make my Raptors vs Celtics prediction.
Our Raptors vs Celtics Pick ATS PRO
| Pick: | |
| Confidence: | 3/5 |
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Toronto Raptors @ Boston Celtics
- Date & Time: Friday, January 9, 2026, 7:00 PM ET
- Venue: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
- Broadcast: NBA League Pass
Key Storylines
The Celtics come into this game with a 23-13 record, sitting just a game ahead of Toronto in the Eastern Conference standings. Boston has been strong offensively and defensively in recent weeks, though they dropped their latest outing 114-110 to the Denver Nuggets despite a 33-point effort from Jaylen Brown and despite Nikola Jokic being out for Denver. Brown has been the engine of Boston’s offense with elite scoring numbers this season, filling the void left by the injured Jayson Tatum.
The Raptors (23-15) have won three straight games, including a dramatic 97-96 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. Immanuel Quickley hit the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in that game. RJ Barrett has been a stabilizing offensive presence since returning from injury and Toronto performs better with him in the lineup. However, the injury report clouds the Raptors’ prospects as both Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram are listed as questionable, and starting center Jakob Poeltl is out.
On the Celtics’ side, Tatum remains sidelined with a season-ending Achilles injury and Josh Minott is out with an ankle sprain. These absences could significantly impact Boston’s rotation. But both of these teams have done a nice job of overcoming their injuries so far this season and they will try to do more of the same here.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
- These teams have met twice already this season, with Boston winning both of those games, including a 112-96 victory in the most recent encounter.
- Boston is 21-15 against the spread so far this season.
- Toronto is 17-21 against the spread entering Friday night.
- The under has hit in 20 of Boston’s first 36 games.
- The under is 24-14 in Raptors games this year.
Best Player Props to Watch ATS PRO
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Jaylen Brown | |
| Derrick White |
Raptors vs Celtics Model Projection ATS PRO
Final Thoughts ATS PRO
