Best Celtics matches this season

The NBA is back and the Boston Celtics are reasdy for another deep playoff run with Gordon Hayward returning to bolster their attack. Despite the devastating injury to Boston’s prized free agent from last season and the late-season loss of Kyrie Irving, the Green still took Cleveland to seven games in the conference championships. Now that they have all the pieces to the puzzle in place, Boston has to be considered the odds-on-favorite to win the East.

Speaking of odds, make sure to check out BettingTop10. If you’re as optimistic about the Celtics’ chances as most of the professional handicappers and basketball pundits then don’t delay because the odds on the C’s to win the division, conference, and NBA championship are all there waiting for your wager. As of this writing, the Celts are indeed favorites to win the division and conference but trail only the Golden State Warriors to win the title.

As we approach the beginning of the season we will take a look at their October opposition and briefly discuss the outcomes from last season.

Tuesday, October 16th – 76ers This could very well be the prelude to an Eastern Conference showdown seven months hence. Last season the Celtics went 3-1 straight up and against the spread during the regular season with their lone loss coming in the fourth and final game in which Kyrie Irving sat with a sore shoulder. Boston met Philadelphia again in the postseason without Irving and dispatched the Sixers in five games, covering in four of those contests, and advanced to the conference finals against the Cavaliers.

Friday, October 19th – at Raptors The team with the best regular season record in the East proved to be a paper tiger in the playoffs. Toronto took out an underwhelming Wizards crew in six games only to be ousted in four straight by Cleveland. Boston split the season series at two apiece with the Raptors and hope to duplicate their efforts the last time these clubs met when the Celts drew away to a 110-99 victory at the end of March.

Saturday, October 20th – at Knicks The Celtics took three of four from New York last season with a memorable 30-point thrashing the last time they met in Boston. It should be more of the same this season as there aren’t a whole lot of tools in the New York woodshed again this season.

Monday, October 22nd – Magic Orlando was anything but magical last season, settling in the Eastern Conference basement, only above Atlanta, with a 25-57 regular season record. The Magic were easy pickin’s for the C’s as Boston won and covered three of four and not much seems to have changed in the land of Disney except center Mohamed Bamba, the No. 6 overall pick in the draft with a wingspan the length of an aircraft carrier.

Thursday, October 25th – at Thunder OKC met the Green twice last season and bowed on both occasions. The last meeting was a thriller in which Marcus Morris drilled a trey with time expiring to lead Boston to a 100-99 victory.

Saturday, October 27th – at Pistons & Tuesday, October 30th – Pistons The last Saturday in October will feature the Celtics battling the Pistons in Motown and then getting them again at the Garden three days later. The Celtics took two of three from the Pistons last season with the last meeting resulting in a 110-98 win in hostile territory.