Celtics vs Raptors Game 4 Odds and Picks
- The Toronto Raptors are -122 favorites to defeat the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of their NBA Eastern Conference semi-final series
- OG Anunoby’s buzzer-beater in Game 3 gave the Raps their first win of the series
- Toronto came back from a 2-0 series deficit to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2019 NBA Eastern Conference final
After two games off in the wilderness, the Toronto Raptors grabbed a piece of that playoff magic they used a year ago en route to winning their first NBA Championship.
Just 0.5 seconds away from going down 3-0 to the Boston Celtics in their NBA Eastern Conference semi-final series, OG Anunoby’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer rescued the Raptors by a 104-103 count.
Basketball fans have caught this act from the Raptors before and apparently, so have the oddsmakers. Toronto is established as the -122 chalk in the Celtics vs Raptors odds. Game 4 is slated for 6:40 pm ET on Saturday.
Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics Game 4 Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total at FanDuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto Raptors | -122 | -1.5 (-110) | U 213 (-110) |
| Boston Celtics | +104 | +1.5 (-110) | O 213 (-110) |
Odds taken Sept. 3
In last year’s Eastern Conference final, Toronto rallied from a 2-0 series deficit to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. No team in NBA history has ever rallied from a 3-0 series disadvantage.
Fantastic Finish
Thursday’s victory was the first for Toronto in four tries against Boston since all the teams were moved into the NBA bubble in Orlando. It looked a lot like the sorts of performances the Raptors pulled out of the hat during last year’s run to the NBA title.
Anunoby’s game-winning 3-pointer was reminiscent of the Game 7 buzzer-beating shot Kawhi Leonard hit from beyond the arc to give Toronto second-round decision over the Philadelphia 76ers.
THE LAST 30 SECONDS OF RAPTORS-CELTICS 😱 pic.twitter.com/zumBx7JSoh
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 4, 2020
While Anunoby wore the cape, the real hero was Kyle Lowry. Not only did he made the inbounds feed to Anunoby on the winning shot. Lowry filled the basket with a game-high 31 points.
The depth that helped land the Raptors the title a year ago also finally began to emerge. Fred Van Vleet scored 25 points. Pascal Siakim, a non-factor in the first two games of the series, netted 11 of his 16 points in the third quarter.
All five Toronto starters hit for double digits.
Celtics Take Gut Punch
Every playoff journey tests the mettle of a team. The Raptors found a way to eke out a victory literally in less than a second.
Now everyone gets to find out the level of fortitude that the Celtics possess. They probably thought Game 3 was in the bag when Kemba Walker found an open Daniel Theis for the go-ahead dunk with 0.5 seconds left on the clock.
Celtics’ Kemba Walker draws the defense and finds Daniel Theis for the go-ahead dunk in the final second of Game 3 vs. Raptors pic.twitter.com/EFr7zUOEET
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) September 4, 2020
The Raptors showed them otherwise. Toronto was able to break Boston’s smothering half-court defense for 14 fast-break points.
Walker scored 29 points for Boston. Jaylen Brown (19 points, 12 rebounds) was also solid. Jayson Tatum, though, struggled. He shot 5-for-18 and finished with 15 points. Marcus Smart, so effective in Game 2, shot 4-for-15 and ended with 11 points.
The Swing Game
The fact of the matter is that for the third game in a row, the Raptors didn’t play all that well. Toronto shot a dismal .563 from the free-throw line. They were just .325 from 3-point range, improved from the first two games (.263) but still well off their season average of .374. Boston outrebounded Toronto 44-39.
Coming through with a clutch effort in Gm3 of his team's Round 2 series vs the Celtics, Kyle Lowry recorded just the 3rd ever playoff performance of 30+ points, 8+ assists & 6+ rebounds in @Raptors history. He also did so on May 15, 2016 while Kawhi Leonard did so on May 23, 2019 pic.twitter.com/Civ3PY4kUo
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) September 4, 2020
In a series that stands 2-1, Game 4 is most critical. Should the team that is behind lose, they’re staring at 3-1 down and an almost certain series loss. Win, though, and they’ve turned a best-of-seven into a two-out-of-three affair.
The Celtics certainly didn’t bring their A-game to Game 3 and only lost because of a hope-and-a-prayer shot. They should be emboldened by that knowledge.
Pick: Boston Celtics (+104)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
