It's that time again! Here are some early Celtics' betting lines


It's that time of year again! The most wonderful time of the year! It's NBA betting season! Now we'll all actually have something productive to do at work. Vegas recently put out some fun little lines for us to ponder over, and I've been in the lab all day deciding how I should win my money. A few season props that have been dropped are: odds to win the division and each team's over/under win totals. Lets take a look.


If it were last season, this option would've been a bit more difficult to choose. The Toronto Raptors were a high powered team with some serious fire power in Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and Co. Don't get me wrong, they're still a good team who we'll battle with all season, but we've greatly widened the gap between us and them with our offseason additions. Signing Gordon Hayward and trading for Kyrie Irving* has transformed us into sharks, and we're swimming in a tank full of minnows.

The other Atlantic team to consider; not even worry about, just consider, is the Philadelphia 76ers, and they're a team full of kids with bad immune systems. Their young core have been injury prone since each of them have entered the NBA. First it was Joel Embiid, then it was Ben Simmons, and now it's their most recent first overall pick, Markelle Fultz. Even if this team stays healthy, they're a long shot to win the division, and if history repeats itself, then this team won't stay strong for the entire season. Boston Celtics to win the division is easy money.

And how 'bout those Golden State Warriors' odds!? 500/1!? That's a Titanic to win Best Picture line: a complete given. Is it worth it to put down $500 just to win one measly dollar in return? Yes! It's a free dollar! I'll take that $1 to the bank, every time!

Now, choosing who will win the division is an easy decision. The over/under win totals, on the other hand, is another story. This season, the C's win total is set at 56.5 games. That means that in order to cover the over, the Celtics need to win 57 games. That's a lot. We haven't won 57 games since 2009, when Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were still in town, and while we've added a few All-Stars to the roster this year, that doesn't guarantee us a 57 win season.

Only two teams won over 57 games last season, and it was San Antonio Spurs, who won 61 games, and of course, the Golden State Warriors, who topped out at 67 games. In comparison, the Celtics won 53 games in 2017. The questions that we all need to consider are: does our upgraded roster put us in contention with the mighty Titans of the West? Are we that good now that we added Gordie Haystacks and swapped Isaiah Thomas for Kyrie Irving*?

I think yes. I think that we can win four more games than we did last season. I think that we crossed that barrier on the Fourth of July when Gordie finally agreed to sign a deal in Boston. Don't worry about chemistry ruining this over. We have a team of full fledged studs, and I think they'll click right from the start. Bet it! Celtics take the over!

Does that mean that we'll automatically make it to the Finals? Heck no. We still have to go through Lebron James and the vengeful IT4* to do that, and I don't know if we can. One thing I would bet all of my money on though is this: the Eastern Conference Finals next year are going to be absolutely bonkers! The Celtics/Cavs rivalry may have just been elevated to the best rivalry in the NBA, overtaking the recent Warriors/Cavs stretch that we were all forced to endure.

The hate between these two franchises has reached unthinkable limits. The fans in Cleveland will hate Kyrie, and the tension between him and Lebron will be felt all the way up in the nosebleeds. Isaiah is going to come to town and make all of those dummies who burnt his jersey bow down. He'll attempt to make Danny Ainge regret ever trading him. He'll be trying to prove that he's better than Kyrie. He will be motivated as all hell, and being the emotional guy that he is, he's going to rub all of his successes in our faces. I wonder if Cs' fans will begin to hate our new enemy, or if the IT love will survive.

With that being said, the Cs are +200 to win the East. Yes, I will be putting money on that. Yes, I do think that that line will lessen once the season begins and the Celtics strut their stuff for the entire world to see, so hop on that line now while you still can.

Wherever you decide to put your money, I wish you the best. Good luck, and may the force be with you.

To see over/under win totals for the entire NBA, click here.

*pending trade, which we will know by tomorrow's deadline.

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Photo 1: Getty Images
Photo 2: New York Times



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