The Toronto Raptors carry a three-game winning streak into Friday’s road matchup against the Boston Celtics.
The pregame narrative: Toronto is a 9.5-point underdog with Scottie Barnes (knee) listed as doubtful. Brandon Ingram (thumb) is also questionable, which should open up opportunities for RJ Barrett and Collin Murray-Boyles to produce.
Check out my Raptors vs. Celtics picks for Jan. 9 at TD Garden, featuring prop predictions on Barrett and Murray-Boyles.
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Raptors vs. Celtics picks
Best bet: Barrett 20+ points (-125)
Barrett has five games under his belt following a lengthy injury absence. He started off slowly but has some encouraging numbers in his last three:
- 32.3 MPG
- 24.7 PPG
- 17+ points in each game
- 17+ FGA in each game
The Torontonian will have to step it up for his hometown team with Barnes likely out. And Ingram’s injury is to his shooting thumb, so even if he suits up, it’s unclear what we’ll get from a scoring perspective.
I feel great about this number if Barrett plays north of 30 minutes and takes around 20 shots.
Boston allows the eighth-fewest PPG to opposing small forwards, per Rotowire, but this is about opportunity.
Barrett played a game against the Celtics last year without Barnes and erupted for a 25-point triple-double.
Key stat: Barrett is 4-0 against this milestone vs. Boston since joining Toronto. He shot 51.3% from the field in those contests.
Raptors prop predictions
Murray-Boyles over 6.5 rebounds (-138): This is a lot of juice to pay, but I’ll happily do it tonight. Murray-Boyles, the No. 9 overall pick out of South Carolina, has been humming on the glass lately:
- 9.6 rebounds/game over his last 6
- 12+ rebounds three times
The rookie is playing big minutes during that stretch (at least 25 in every game) and should see another uptick in playing time tonight with Barnes and Jakob Poeltl sidelined.
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Barnes is averaging 8.4 rebounds this season and 9.8 during that same six-game stretch mentioned earlier.
Boston is a solid rebounding team. But again, this is more about opportunities than anything else. If Ingram can’t play, this should be a smash play.
Raptors vs. Celtics picks made at 1:46 p.m. ET on Jan. 9, 2026.
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Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.