Boston Celtics' NBA Finals Odds Skyrocket With Jayson Tatum's Return Imminent

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has not played this season due to an Achilles injury, but he reportedly could debut as soon as Friday against the Dallas Mavericks.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Thursday that Tatum will in fact play this season after months of speculation if he'd be able to return in less than a year from a ruptured Achilles tendon. The Celtics star has made a miraculous recovery, and his impending return has skyrocked Boston in the odds to win the NBA Finals.

BREAKING: Boston Celtics All-NBA star Jayson Tatum will play this season and could make his debut on Friday against the Dallas Mavericks – less than 10 months after surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon. pic.twitter.com/2TCWXuXQK1
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 5, 2026

Boston ws +1100 to win the NBA Finals earlier this week, but it jumped to +800 at DraftKings Sportsbook with the news that Tatum will suit up this season. Boston has the best odds of any Eastern Conference team to win the title and is tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the third-best odds in the NBA.

While Tatum will likely be on a minutes restriction once he returns to action, it seems like he'll play on Friday against Dallas, which would give him more than a month to ramp up for the C's ahead of the playoffs.

There's an expectation that Jayson Tatum will make his 2025-26 season debut for the Boston Celtics on Friday night at TD Garden versus Dallas, sources tell ESPN. Tatum has been described as ready to go and will inform the Celtics of a final decision over the next day. https://t.co/id20oBkXi0
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 5, 2026

An All-NBA player, Tatum immediately raises the ceiling of a Boston team that is the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference at this point in the season. The Celtics are second in the league in offensive rating and Jaylen Brown has put himself in the MVP conversation with Tatum sitting out to start the season.

Now, oddsmakers clearly view Boston's playoff ceiling as much higher than it was before this season when the C's had a win total projection of 41.5. Boston already has 41 wins this season and still has 20 games left in the regular season.

Tatum's imminent return has pushed the odds for other Eastern Conference contenders back as well. Detroit -- the No. 1 seed in the East -- is now +1500 to win the title while the Cleveland Cavaliers (+1200) and New York Knicks (+1600) are both well behind Boston.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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