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Posted at 10:15 AM EST

Boston +120 over Toronto

9:00 PM EST. As a rule of thumb, when one takes action on the defending NBA Champion Toronto Raptors, one can also expect to pay a premium to do so. Since play has resumed, the Raps have put together an impressive dossier of results which includes a 3-0 SU and ATS record attained against the West’s present front-runner, the Los Angeles Lakers (where they won by 15), the up-start Miami Heat, and most recently the Orlando Magic in another double-digit victory. As a result of these results, the premium to back Toronto has intensified, which may suggest that had the Great White North lost or failed to cover over this span, that perhaps they may actually be the dog in this contest. This likelihood is reinforced by the market presence on the C’s being weaker at the present moment.

On Wednesday, we rode the Celtics to the cashier window when we had them at -9 against the Brooklyn Nets, who came into the match on the heels of what has in retrospect been classed as a historic upset of the Milwaukee Bucks. The Celtics had come in with a diminished stock after they themselves had been upset by the Miami Heat 112-106 in their preceding contest as a five-point choice. This was the same Heat team that Toronto defeated and covered against, 107-103 as a -2½-point favorite on Monday. As a result of the ingredients leading into the Brooklyn-Boston tilt, we suspected we were working with Boston at a reduced price and the final tally would prove us right, as the Celtics would molly-whop the Nets 149-115. Seemingly Beantown could not gain any market credibility regardless of that result, as the attitude surrounding the Celtics in the final analysis of their clash with Brooklyn would either consist of them being a team that was overpriced against a team they should handily beat or the Celtics won big and covered against a team that they were supposed to dominate; either result would not enhance the public’s opinion of them. This match-up is an opportunity for the Celtics to change that.

The Celtics were favored in all three matches with the Raptors during the regular season (two of which they won). We now get the C’s at a price in a game they are supposed to be a small favorite in. A win for Boston here allows the C’s to dismiss any dissenting murmurs and essentially lock up the three-seed while doing so. We trust Boston will do just that. Celtics outright is the call.

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