The Boston Celtics are yet to record back-to-back defeats this season, but they’ll need to overcome the Detroit Pistons to stay on track.
The last time the reigning champions lost back-to-back games was in early April 2024, towards the end of the regular season when falling to the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks.
To start the season, Boston have firmly stamped their intention of becoming the first team to successfully defend their title since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
The Celtics are 19-5, the second-best record in the league behind the Cleveland Cavaliers at 21-4 – and as per the best online sportsbooks, they’ve shortened in the markets to +200 to raise Banner 19 in TD Garden.
But first, they have to take care of business in the regular season and give themselves the best possible chance of succeeding in the postseason – and that means grinding out ‘League Pass games’ during the week.
Boston have won 11 straight games against the Pistons heading into Thursday’s clash, with their last defeat to Detroit coming in February 2022.
Jayson Tatum’s status vs Pistons listed as ‘questionable’
It remains to be seen whether Boston’s MVP candidate Jayson Tatum will line-up against the Pistons tonight, with his name a surprise inclusion on the Celtics injury report due to right patella tendinopathy.
In other words, he has a bit of a sore knee – but when he’s questionable he usually plays. The 26-year-old is averaging 28.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists to start the season.
Tatum has scored 30 or more in each of his last seven outings against Detroit, so we know it’s a match-up he enjoys and he’ll be keen to protect homecourt as well.
The Celtics enter the game as 12.5-point favorites and Tatum is priced at -110 to score at least 27, those odds seem fair.
Jayson Tatum telling the Pistons fan to calm down after he buries the dagger pic.twitter.com/IfxFwSYhkA
— Celtics Junkies (@Celtics_Junkies) October 27, 2024
