Docs Website

53 Years Strong! A Trusted Leader In Sports Picks, Best Bets and Predictions Since 1971.

Main Menu

2024-25 Boston Celtics Predictions and Odds to Win NBA Finals

by Spencer Toth - 9/18/2024

Boston Celtics predictions Jaylen Brown

The Celtics finally did it. After a long 16 year wait, the Celtics returned to the NBA summit, bringing home the 2023-24 championship. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were rewarded for their loyalty with the Celtics, and they are now looking to turn their recent win into a dynasty. The Celtics are the clear favorites to win the NBA championship this season. Can the Celtics become the first team to win back-to-back titles since the Golden State Warriors, or will some complacency creep in after their victory last season?

Doc’s Sports offers NBA picks for every game on our NBA predictions page.

Boston Celtics Offseason Recap

If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Like many defending NBA champions, the Celtics elected to stay quiet in the offseason and prioritize locking down their current roster for as long as possible. Xavier Tillman Sr. and Luke Kornet were both set to become free agents, but the Celtics retained their services with a pair of $2 million annual contracts. Sam Hauser was optioned by the team, but the big news came from a pair of their All-Star players. 

Jayson Tatum declined his player option in order to sign a 5-year, $315 million dollar extension to keep him with the Celtics through the 2029-30 season. He is now the highest paid player in the league, with his $62.8 million dollar AAV eclipsing teammate Jaylen Brown’s $57 million dollar average. The decision to lock up Tatum was a no-brainer, and the Celtics are poised to compete for the foreseeable future. Joining Tatum in the contract room was Derrick White, who signed a 4-year, $118 million dollar deal. His AAV of $29 million is a good deal for a player of his caliber, but the trio of big contracts will keep the Celtics strapped for cash with the rest of their roster. 

There were a few additions and subtractions for the Celtics, with Svi Mykhailiuk and Oshae Brissett departing, but the top 10 in minutes played last season will remain the same. The biggest offseason news for the Celtics was the injury, and surgery, for Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis was diagnosed with a rare leg injury that needed surgery, forcing him to miss the Olympics in the summer. It is still unknown if he will be available to suit up for the Celtics first game, but his return to the squad will not be any later than the first month of the new campaign. 

Boston Celtics Season Expectations

The expectations for the Celtics are to secure the top seed in the Eastern Conference, then follow it up with another NBA championship. After Tatum and Brown proved they can lead a team to a ring, anything short of a repeat victory will be seen as a failure. Tatum may not have won the Finals MVP for Boston, but there is no doubt he is still the leader of this team. His 26.9 PPG last season was the highest on the team and good for 7th in the NBA. Tatum can do it all on the court, both offensively and defensively. His overall usage dropped from the 2022-23 season, but his shooting splits both ticked upwards by significant margins. He is taking better shots than he used to and is willing to pass the ball when needed, recording a career high 4.9 assists last year. Jaylen Brown brings a different set of skills to the Celtics, and his finishing inside forces defense to spread the floor and opens up lanes for his teammates. 

Brown, Tatum, and White will steal the headlines for Boston, but the reason they won the title was because of Jrue Holiday and his defense. Holiday has already joined elite NBA company by winning two titles with two different teams (Bucks in 2021), as his hard-nosed defense is second to none. Holiday has been able to consistently limit the production from his opponents’ elite guards. His defense is good enough to avoid a double team against the league’s best, which allows the rest of his teammates to stick to their assignments. His defensive play makes everyone around him better. And as long as Boston stays healthy, there is no reason they can’t win another championship. 

Boston Celtics Schedule Breakdown

The Celtics get the privilege of kicking off the new NBA season, welcoming the New York Knicks to TD Garden. This is a high-profile game, as the Knicks will be desperate to test out their new roster against the defending champions. After the Knicks, 6 of the next 7 games are on the road for the Celtics, but they only have one game against a playoff team from last year. Every NBA team will have their matchup against the Celtics circled on the calendar, and there will be no shortage of intensity when the league’s best team comes to town. 

Boston Celtics Odds

The Celtics are the outright favorites to win the NBA championship, with +300 odds to do so. There is no doubt the Celtics are the best team in the league, and there is still plenty of money to be made on their title. There were years not too long ago where the Golden State Warriors would have negative odds attached to their championship. In the regular season, the Celtics have a win total of 58.5 wins, and this feels a bit low. The Celtics finished with 64 wins last year and were actually short of the 66 Pythagorean wins they earned. It isn’t unrealistic to see the Celtics replicate their record last season. And while they may regress, this team is simply dominant enough to still take the Over. 

2024-25 Boston Celtics Season Predictions and Best Bets

The Celtics have set the bar quite high for the upcoming season, and they can still live up to expectations. The 58.5 win total implies the Celtics will lose 33% more games than they did last season, which simply will not be happening. Teams will have a slightly better idea of how to beat the Celtics. However, as we’ve seen with other generational teams, knowing how and executing are two very different things. The Celtics will cruise in the regular season, but there isn’t too much value in locking in any playoff related bets now. Boston is +130 to win the East and +300 to win the championship. When making season long future bets, you are looking for odds that are unlikely to still be available when the playoffs roll around. Even another dominant NBA regular season will still see the Celtics hover around these prices, and there is always a chance they fall short, and these odds increase. 

Pick: Boston Celtics Over 58.5 Wins

Get NBA picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bet premium picks by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.

 

Most Recent NBA Handicapping

One E-mail A Week Is All You Need!
Our weekly newsletter is loaded with exclusive free picks,insight and advice from our expert handicappers