Chicago Bulls vs Boston Celtics Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Opening Week
Boston is laying 13.5 points behind an offense that has scored 113 and 107 in its first two games. Chicago arrives allowing 128.0 points per game, and it also brings the 30 points and 14 rebounds Caleb Wilson just put on Washington. Whether a number this big can hold against a team that scores as easily as Chicago does is the question in the Garden.
The Matchup
Boston's start has been carried by Jayson Tatum. He put 36 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists on New York in Friday's 107-103 home win, and Paul George leads the Celtics at 26.5 points per game through two games. The team numbers are less imposing than the names.
Boston is 1-1, scoring 110.0 points per game and allowing 112.0, after going 56-26 with a plus-7.7 differential last season. With every team three games or fewer into the season, last season still says plenty, and it says Boston is very good. It also says this version has not separated from anyone yet.
Chicago is 1-2 and its games have been wild. The Bulls allowed 135 points at Toronto, then won 132-125 at Milwaukee, then lost 124-120 at home to Washington on Saturday. They score 114.7 per game and allow 128.0, so every Chicago game turns into a negotiation between its offense and its defense.
Wilson is the discovery. He leads Chicago at 22.3 points per game, and on Saturday he scored 30 with 14 rebounds in 38 minutes against Washington. Josh Giddey runs the offense at 8.3 assists per game and had 10 assists on Saturday, and Matas Buzelis added 21 points in that game.
Chicago plays this one short-handed inside. Claxton is out tonight with a hamstring injury, and he will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Patrick Williams is questionable to play tonight with right groin soreness, and Noa Essengue is questionable with a bruised head. Boston's report is clean at the top of the rotation, with only reserve guard Devin Carter out with mononucleosis. DraftKings makes Boston a 13.5-point favorite, with a total of 233.5.
Key Factors
Boston's rest edge is real. The Celtics have been off since Friday, while Chicago played Saturday night and traveled. That edge shows up in legs late, and it is the strongest argument for the favorite covering a number this size.
The counterweight is that Boston's offense has not earned 13.5 yet. The Celtics scored 107 points at home on Friday and needed every one of Tatum's 36 to beat a Knicks team that is 0-2. Chicago's offense travels because it is simple. Wilson attacks closeouts, Giddey keeps the ball moving, and the Bulls have scored 132 and 120 in their last two games against defenses that planned for them. Boston has to guard for 48 minutes, not 40, because Chicago does not stop coming.
Chicago's defense is how this bet loses, and it is not a small risk. A team allowing 128.0 points per game can give up a 40-point quarter to Boston's shooters, and without Claxton there is no rim protection behind the first line. If Tatum and George both get comfortable early, the Bulls are chasing the game by halftime and 13.5 stops looking big. The cover case is narrower and simpler. Chicago scores too easily to be buried for four quarters by an offense averaging 110.0 points.
We have Boston by about 8 at home, well inside the 13.5 the market is asking. Tatum can take this game over, and Chicago's defense is bad enough to let him. But the Bulls have scored 132 and 120 in their last two, Wilson is a genuine first option, and Boston's own offense has been ordinary. Take Chicago Bulls +13.5 at -105.
Game information
| DATE | Monday (10/26) |
|---|---|
| START TIME | 6:30 PM CT |
| HOW TO WATCH | League Pass |
| VENUE | TD Garden |
| SPREAD | Boston Celtics -13.5 |
| TOTAL | 233.5 |
| MONEYLINE | Boston Celtics -850 |
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Every pick is published with its line before the game. Odds via consensus sportsbooks at time of writing and move constantly. Must be 21+. If gambling is a problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.