Boston Celtics hoping for productive December in pursuit of the NBA Title
The Boston Celtics are on a mission to secure their first National Basketball Association (NBA) title since the 2007/08 season when they beat the Los Angeles Lakers to the punch.
The Celtics have struggled to reclaim their place at the pinnacle of the NBA since their title-winning campaign but have shown signs of being a rejuvenated side over the last couple of years.
They came close in 2021/22, pushing the Golden State Warriors to six games in the NBA Finals. Last season brought more heartbreak as they were defeated by Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Under head coach Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics have shown signs of putting those disappointments behind them by going all the way this time around.
Jayson Tatum has played a prominent role this season, leading his team with an average of more than 28 points per game. With Jaylen Brown weighing in with over 21 points per game, the Celtics possess the tools to beat any team on any given night.
They have been a force to be reckoned with this season, winning 12 of their 15 games. A recent overtime defeat against the Charlotte Hornets was their third of the season, but they quickly bounced back.
A 119-116 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks bore all the hallmarks of a title-winning team and the Celtics will take plenty of confidence from that performance.
Brown and Tatum contributed a combined 49 points to lead the Celtics to victory and set them up nicely for a hectic run of games over the next few weeks.
Online bookmakers were suitably impressed the victory, with the several leading sites clipping them into odds of 7/2 to win the NBA championship.
With the Celtics boasting a sizeable Irish following in Ireland and America, it is little wonder their odds have been cut given the popularity of gambling on the Emerald Isle.
The top Irish betting sites are inundated with wagers on the Celtics whenever they are in action and they will face a sizeable payout if the team get the job done this season.
After completing their schedule this month, Mazzulla’s side will be in action 11 times before the start of the new year, giving punters plenty of opportunities to wager on them.
The 17-time NBA championship winners kick off their busy December schedule facing Eastern Conference rivals the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden.
They will feel fairly confident of emerging victorious, considering they have lost just two of their last seven NBA meetings with the Philadelphia-based outfit.
Facing the 76ers on their home court should set the tone nicely for their double-header against five-time Eastern Conference champions Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Celtics then host Orlando Magic twice before embarking on a trip to face the Golden State Warriors in their first game away from home in December.
They then travel to Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers before rounding up the year with back-to-back home games against the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors.
While they may not emerge completely unscathed from that hectic run of games, the Celtics should still be well placed to mount a strong title challenge when 2024 gets underway.
