Celtics' NBA Finals Odds Take Small Hit Following Jayson Tatum Injury, Game 6 Loss

Could the favorite to win the Eastern Conference fall in the first round of the playoffs?

The Boston Celtics have been favored to win the East since Jayson Tatum (Achilles) returned to action in March, but they've been pushed to a Game 7 on Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston is looking to avoid blowing a 3-1 series lead, as it's been beaten badly in the last two games with Joel Embiid back for Philly.

To make matters worse, Tatum left Game 6 with a calf injury and did not return. On the bright side, it appears he didn't return because the game was out of hand, and the star forward expects to suit up in Saturday's Game 7.

Jayson Tatum said he expects to play in Game 7. Said it was his other leg, not the one he injured last year.

"I wasn't overly concerned." https://t.co/HXmAqdfM3T
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) May 1, 2026

Despite that, Boston's odds to win the NBA Finals have taken a hit. The C's were as high as +475 to win the title at DraftKings Sportsbook, but they've slipped to +600 (third in the NBA) after losing Games 5 and 6. Boston remains ahead of Cleveland (+1600) and New York (+1900) in the odds to win the Finals, even though the Knicks already advanced to the second round.

Oddsmakers have set Boston as a 7.5-point favorite in Game 7, which is a major reason why it remains in the top three in the odds to win the Finals. There have only been 13 instances where a team came back from a 3-1 series deficit in NBA history, so Boston has the historical advantage over the Sixers on Saturday.

Boston still has a net rating of +5.0 in the playoffs, but it has lost two of three games since Embiid returned to action. As long as Tatum plays, Boston should close as a pretty sizable favorite on Saturday.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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