Celtics vs. Pistons Prediction, Odds and Best Prop Bets for NBA Season Opener

Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics kick off the 2026-27 NBA season on Tuesday afternoon with a matchup against the Detroit Pistons and Cade Cunningham.

These were the top two teams in the Eastern Conference in the 2025-26 season, though both of them came up way short in the playoffs. Boston was eliminated in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers while the Pistons nearly were upset by the Orlando Magic before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round.

So, a strong finish to the 2026-27 season is the goal for both teams as they enter Game 1 of 82 in the regular season.

Boston underwent a bunch of changes in the offseason, mainly trading away All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal that brought back Paul George to Boston. The C’s also signed former New York Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson to take the lead role at center in the 2026-27 campaign.

Detroit also made some moves this offseason, as Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart and Marcus Sasser are all out. Detroit replaced them with John Collins, Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince, Gary Harris and rookie guard Ebuka Okorie. Plus, the team went through a long negotiation with center Jalen Duren before finally agreeing to a five-year, $200 million deal.

After Duren struggled in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the Pistons are hoping he can return to his form from last regular season when he was a clear-cut All-Star in the East.

When it comes to this matchup, oddsmakers have actually set Boston as a slight favorite on the road on Tuesday afternoon. With Tatum fully back from an Achilles injury that ended his 2024-25 season, the C’s are expected to make a leap in the East and remain in the mix for the No. 1 seed.

Can they start things strong and knock off this young Pistons squad?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, a player prop to bet and my prediction for Tuesday’s Eastern Conference showdown.

Celtics vs. Pistons Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Celtics -1.5 (-105)
Pistons +1.5 (-115)

Moneyline

Celtics: -112
Pistons: -108

Total

222.5 (Over -105/Under -115)

Celtics vs. Pistons How to Watch

Date: Tuesday, Oct. 20
Time: 3:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Little Caesars Arena
How to Watch (TV): NBC
Celtics record: 0-0
Pistons record: 0-0

Celtics vs. Pistons Injury Reports

Celtics Injury Report

Devin Carter -- out

Pistons Injury Report

Ugonna Onyenso -- out
Isaac Jones -- out
Taurean Prince -- questionable
Elijah Harkless -- questionable

Celtics vs. Pistons Best NBA Prop Bets

Pistons Best NBA Prop Bet

Cade Cunningham OVER 23.5 Points (-119)

Detroit’s offense ran through Cade Cunningham during the 2026-27 season, as he averaged 23.9 points and 9.9 assists per game to lead this team to the No. 1 seed.

With Tobias Harris now in San Antonio, I think an even bigger scoring burden is going to fall on Cunningham – at least to start this season.

The All-NBA guard took 20.8 shots per game in the 2024-25 season and averaged 26.1 points per game, but he took two fewer shots per game in the 2025-26 campaign. That usage could tick up, and the Pistons are going to need all the points they can get against a Boston team that was No. 2 in the league in offensive rating last season.

Cade finished with 25, 32 and 42 points in three of his four meetings against Boston last season and averaged over 23 per game against the Celtics in his career.

Celtics vs. Pistons Prediction and Pick

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why I like Boston to win on the road:

Early in the 2026-27 season, I’ll be looking to fade some teams that I’m not nearly as high on as the market is, and the Pistons happen to be one of those squads.

Simply put, I don’t love the Detroit offseason. The team failed to get a true No. 2 ball-handling option after Cade Cunningham, and it let Tobias Harris walk in free agency. Harris was clearly the best shot-creator after Cunningham during the team’s playoff run with Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson getting exposed as limited offensive players.

The Duren contract situation also played its way all the way up until training camp, and it’ll be interesting to see how he responds after a dreadful playoff run in 2026.

Meanwhile, I’m all in on a Jayson Tatum-led Boston team that has a ton of shooting around him and has been a regular-season wins machine with Joe Mazzulla at the helm. Boston cleared its win total with ease last season, and Tatum is simply a better all-around offensive engine than Jaylen Brown, who is now in Philadelphia after the C’s swapped him for Paul George and draft capital.

If this team was able to win 56 games last season and finish with the No. 2 offense in the NBA, I have much higher expectations coming into the 2026-27 campaign.

Mitchell Robinson gives Boston a much steadier presence in the middle, and the C’s have a lot more offensive firepower than a Pistons team that is extremely reliant on Cunningham. I like Boston in a near pick’em scenario in Game 1.

Pick: Celtics Moneyline (-112 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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