Boston Celtics 2022-23 betting guide
This is the first team betting guide for the upcoming NBA season. The idea is to give you a baseline for your own homework with the season just a couple of weeks away.
Boston has certainly had an interesting offseason this year, but they are still at the top of the odds table to win the NBA title. I am not sure I agree with that assessment but they should be among the better teams in the league this season.
Boston Celtics
2021-22 Record: 51-31
2021-22 ATS Record: 45-36-1
2021-22 O/U Record: 40-40-2
2021-22 Year In Review
It was a tale of two seasons for Boston last year. They had a new coach to start the year and it took a while for them to figure things out. Once they did, they became one of the best defensive teams in the league and they parlayed that into an appearance in the NBA Finals, where they were up 2-1 against Golden State, before losing.
It was a good year for Boston with Jayson Tatum and Jaylon Brown making the All-Star team and Marcus Smart winning Defensive Player of the Year. The year exceeded expectations.
2022-23 Boston Celtics Futures
Atlantic Division: +115
Eastern Conference: +270
NBA Title: +600
After coming so close last season there were elevated expectations for this year. Boston acquired backcourt and frontcourt pieces that were going to really help their depth in Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari. I love the Brogdon add but "Galo" is out for the year and big man Robert Williams is hurt to start the season so it is debatable that they are better than they were a year ago right now. Plus there is the whole thing with the coach getting suspended that puts the season in a different space. It is just hard to know how much of a factor that will be.
Success in the NBA requires having quality wings and Boston is as deep as any team in the league in that regard. It is hard to see them falling apart given they have gone with an internal candidate (what else were they going to do?). Still, it is fair to wonder how it all works out. Is now GM Brad Stevens going to get back behind the bench? Why didn't he? Look for Boston to play smaller this season. Their defense might suffer thought so the games could be higher scoring. They have the talent to play that way if they want.
Boston Celtics - Bet To Consider
Marcus Smart To Win Defensive Player of the Year +2000
Winning this award in back-to-back years is tough but there is precedent with guys like Dwight Howard and Rudy Gobert. The hard part is that you get compared to what you did when you won it as much as what you are doing currently. The big thing here is that Smart is eighth in the odds table. I do not believe there are seven players in the league who should have better odds than him, so there is value there.
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