Celtics vs. Raptors Prediction: Summer League Showdown at Cox Pavilion

Summer League action in Las Vegas continues Friday night with the Boston Celtics facing the Toronto Raptors at Cox Pavilion. As with every game at this event, both rosters are built from rookies, two-way signees and fringe players competing for roster spots rather than the full NBA lineups Celtics and Raptors fans see once the regular season begins, but there is still plenty worth watching as both franchises evaluate their next wave of talent.

Two Franchises Looking to Build Around Young Pieces

Boston’s Summer League group is led by second-year guard Hugo Gonzalez, the No. 28 pick in the 2025 draft who appeared in 74 games as a rookie and posted an 11.9 net rating that stood out well beyond his modest scoring totals. He is joined by this year’s Celtics draft class, first-round big man Chris Cenac Jr. out of Houston and second-round forward Dillon Mitchell from St. John’s, giving Boston a mix of a known rotation piece and two fresh additions to evaluate together for the first time. Amile Jefferson, entering his fourth season with the organization, takes over head coaching duties for the Las Vegas slate.

Toronto counters with Collin Murray-Boyles as its headline attraction. The 2025 first-round pick out of South Carolina made the NBA All-Rookie second team last season after helping the Raptors finish as a top-five defense, and he ranked third in true shooting percentage among rookies who logged at least 1,000 minutes. Joining him is this year’s Raptors first-round selection, forward Allen Graves out of Santa Clara, along with second-round addition Jaden Bradley from Arizona. Head coach Ivo Simovic, an assistant on Darko Rajakovic’s staff, runs the Toronto bench for this event.

What to Watch on Both Sides

The pairing of Murray-Boyles and Graves is the most interesting subplot for Toronto. Both are described as feature players for at least the first stretch of the event, and how quickly the two forwards build chemistry could say a lot about the frontcourt depth Toronto is trying to develop behind its returning veterans. Toronto’s roster also includes several holdovers from the Raptors 905 G League affiliate, such as Alijah Martin, Chucky Hepburn, AJ Hoggard, Tyson Degenhart and Tyreke Key, giving the coaching staff a deep bench of players already familiar with the organization’s systems.

Boston’s frontcourt situation centers on Cenac Jr., a 6-foot-11, 240-pound big man whose length and rebounding profile made him one of the more intriguing size additions to this year’s draft class. Center Amari Williams, who started two games for the Celtics last season, gives Boston another experienced body in the paint, while guards John Tonje and Milos Uzan add scoring punch on the perimeter. With Gonzalez as the only true NBA rotation piece in the group, the Celtics are leaning heavily on this Summer League slate to identify who among the newcomers can carve out a role. Bettors following the Celtics’ path back toward contention can monitor current NBA odds throughout the buildup to the regular season.

Dillon Mitchell’s selection at No. 40 gives Boston a defensive-minded forward who bounced between three college programs before finishing his career at St. John’s, where he averaged 8.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game while earning All-Big East Third Team and All-Defensive Team honors. At 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-10.5 wingspan, Mitchell’s calling card is versatility on defense, and Boston’s front office has already signaled a long-term view of his fit given the team’s history of developing similar high-energy wings. His offensive game remains a work in progress, with most of his production coming near the rim rather than from a reliable jumper, which makes Summer League an important proving ground for a player expected to compete for bench minutes.

Toronto’s Allen Graves arrives with one of the more unusual profiles in this year’s draft class. The Santa Clara product came off the bench for the Broncos as a role player but posted advanced metrics that ranked among the best in the sport, finishing sixth nationally in box plus-minus behind only Cameron Boozer, Yaxel Lendeborg, Caleb Wilson, Zuby Ejiofor and Darryn Peterson. Graves shot 51.2 percent from the field, 41.3 percent from three and 75.0 percent from the free-throw line across 22.6 minutes per game, and his defensive instincts stood out even more than his shooting, posting matching steal and block percentages near five, a rare defensive statistical profile for a forward his size.

As is standard for Summer League, this game does not carry the same depth of betting markets available for regular-season Celtics and Raptors matchups, so the focus here remains on individual development rather than a heavily lined outcome. Fans wanting a refresher on how markets typically shape up once the real season begins should check out an NBA betting guide for the fundamentals.

Prediction and Best Bet

Toronto’s blend of a proven, defense-first rookie in Murray-Boyles and a promising first-round forward in Graves gives the Raptors a slightly more established identity heading into this one compared to Boston’s group, which is still figuring out its rotation beyond Gonzalez.

• Prediction: Raptors 82, Celtics 78
• Best Bet: Collin Murray-Boyles to record a double-double

Murray-Boyles’ combination of activity level and rebounding instincts should translate well against a Celtics frontcourt that is still adjusting to professional speed, and his experience gives him an edge over Cenac Jr. and Mitchell in a game where continuity matters. Anyone looking to get set up before the full slate of NBA markets returns can also check a BetMGM review or grab a DraftKings promo code ahead of the regular season.