November 10, 2026 at 5:06 AM UTC
Pregame AnalysisCeltics Bring Health and Depth Into a Thin Toronto Rotation
Toronto's guard play has found a spark, but Boston's healthy roster should be too much for a short-handed Raptors team.
This page is the pregame analysis. The box score is the main page for the game, and the matchup history collects every meeting between these teams.
Toronto gets a heavyweight test at a vulnerable moment. Boston arrives at 8-2 with no injuries, and Jayson Tatum is averaging 27.1 points and 7.8 assists. The Raptors are 5-5 and still without Kawhi Leonard, who has missed eight straight games with left knee swelling. Imaging showed no structural damage, but there is no return date and the team is being cautious.
The Raptors do have some momentum from their win over Milwaukee. Jamal Shead had a career-high 16 assists with 10 points and one turnover while starting for Immanuel Quickley, and he keeps the job against Boston. Alijah Martin added a career-high 27 points in the 121-107 win. That suggests Toronto's depth may be better than expected, and Shead's playmaking gives the starters a steady organizer. Toronto's listed starters are Shead, Walter, Barrett, Anderson and Poeltl.
The concern is how thin the group is behind them. Scottie Barnes, Quickley and Collin Murray-Boyles are all listed questionable, and Barnes and Quickley both missed the Milwaukee game. Toronto also has a pattern of slow starts. Both of its road-trip wins came from behind on strong fourth quarters, and the trip ended 2-2. Digging out of early holes is much harder against a healthy Boston team with Tatum creating for others.
I expect Toronto to compete thanks to Shead's passing and some more bench scoring, and the Raptors should stay within reach for stretches. But Boston has the better health, the better record and the more reliable star power. If the Celtics get an early lead, Toronto's thin rotation will have trouble closing the gap.
Prediction: Celtics 115, Raptors 105.