The 2026-27 NBA season tips off Tuesday with the Pistons hosting the Celtics at 3:00 PM EST. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Boston is favored by 1.5 points and this game carries a total of 222.5 points.
Let’s get into my pick and prediction for this contest.
Celtics vs. Pistons prediction, preview
The Pistons went 3-1 vs. the Celtics last season, but both of these squads enter this season with new faces. Boston shocked the basketball world and traded Jaylen Brown to the rival 76ers for Paul George and future draft picks this offseason. The Celtics also signed Mitchell Robinson, adding depth to their frontcourt.
Meanwhile, Detroit added John Collins, but Isaiah Stewart and Caris LeVert were both traded while Tobias Harris departed for the Spurs in free agency. After some long contract discussions, Jalen Duren signed a five-year, $200 million extension to stay with the Pistons.
Duren made his first All-Star team last season, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds as he and Cade Cunningham were the driving forces in the Pistons finishing as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, things went sideways for Duren in the playoffs, averaging just 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds, and his lackluster play was the main reason for the Pistons getting eliminated in seven games by the Cavaliers in the second round.
Duren’s poor postseason was a big part of why the Pistons weren’t willing to give him more money, and it remains to be seen if he can redeem himself come playoff time in the spring. However, in the meantime, Duren should have another great regular season, but this is a tough matchup for him to get things started since the Celtics have two elite defensive centers in Robinson and Neemias Queta. Duren should have trouble in this matchup, which isn’t an encouraging sign for the Pistons.
Cunningham is one of the best point guards in the NBA and is going to do his damage, but when Duren isn’t thriving alongside Cunningham, the Pistons tend to underachieve. Detroit losing Harris is also a concern as the veteran was great last season, especially during the postseason. While replacing Harris with Collins makes the Pistons younger, it doesn’t necessarily make them better, as Collins is an up-and-down player on both ends of the floor.
Make no mistake, though, the Pistons are one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and being at home for this season opener is a notable advantage. Detroit finished second in net rating last season, trailing only the Thunder, and went an impressive 31-9 at home. Additionally, Detroit was 3-1 and ranked sixth in net rating this preseason.
As for the Celtics, many believe they made a poor decision to move off Brown in his prime. With Jayson Tatum sidelined until March with his Achilles injury last season, Brown averaged a career-high 28.7 PPG and led the Celtics to the No. 2 seed with a 56-26 record. Brown finished sixth in MVP voting, but Boston got upset by the 76ers in the first round, losing Game 7 in Boston. Tatum missed this game after an injury scare in Game 6, but the Celtics even being forced to a Game 7 by the No. 7-seeded 76ers was shocking, to say the least.
This came after the Celtics were eliminated by the Knicks in the second round the previous postseason. Change felt inevitable for Boston, and while it wasn’t easy for the organization, moving off Brown did make some sense. The wing is up for a massive extension this season and paying both Brown and Tatum supermax-type deals would severely limit what the Celtics could do with their roster going forward. Plus, while Brown put up big numbers last season, Boston was actually much better with him off the floor.
The Celtics’ net rating was +11.7 with Brown off the floor compared to +5.2 with him on, and Boston was 9-2 with Brown inactive. Replacing Brown with George may very well work in the Celtics’ favor, as George is still an excellent defender and doesn’t need the ball in his hands as much as Brown, which will result in Tatum handling a featured role as the alpha.
The forward is now 17 months removed from his Achilles tear and should have an awesome season. In the three starts he made without Brown last season, Tatum averaged 27.3 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists per game while seeing a huge 37.4% usage rate. The Duke product saw a usage rate north of 30% in eight games last season and the Celtics went 6-2 in those tilts.
Tatum should be in the MVP conversation this season and Payton Pritchard should be a contender for Most Improved Player, as he also flourished with Brown inactive. In the 10 games Pritchard played sans Brown last season, Pritchard averaged 25.2 points, 7.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game with a 29% usage rate.
The vibes for the Celtics this preseason have been outstanding, with the team going 4-0 and leading the league in net rating. While trading Brown was a hard thing to pull the trigger on, Boston should continue to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season, possibly even besting their 56-26 record from a year ago.
Celtics vs. Pistons pick, best bet
While the Pistons were 3-1 vs. the Celtics last season, Boston should go into Detroit on Tuesday and get a win. The Celtics should be an elite team with Tatum running the show and having Robinson and Queta to contain Duren is a big advantage for this matchup.
The Pistons aren’t going to roll over and this should be a nail biter, but the Celtics should prevail and are a great bet on the moneyline at a -115 price on DraftKings Sportsbook.
