Is Jayson Tatum Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Celtics vs. Bucks)

Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum has yet to play in the 2025-26 season after he tore his Achilles during the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

However, it appears that the All-NBA forward is getting closer to a return, as ESPN's Shams Charania reported last week that Tatum has been a full participant in 5-on-5 scrimmages. Boston would certainly love to get Tatum back during the regular season if he's healthy, but he was ruled out of Sunday's win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Shams: Jayson Tatum (Achilles) has been a full participant in 5-on-5 scrimmages.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) February 25, 2026

That makes tonight's matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks an extremely unlikely night for Tatum's return to the court. The Celtics have yet to release an injury report since they're playing the second night of a back-to-back, but it doesn't make much sense to have Tatum sit out a home game to then suit up in his first game of the season on the road after the team played the night before.

Boston still has 22 games left in the 2025-26 regular season, so it's possible the team could keep Tatum out another couple of weeks to then give him a small ramp up before the playoffs. There's also no guarantee that the star forward plays in the 2025-26 season, even though his recent ramp up suggests that he's getting closer.

Tatum went down in the second round of the playoffs last season against the New York Knicks, but he has expressed a desire to play this season. With Boston in the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference standings, it may make sense to have Tatum play down the stretch of the regular season, as the C's have a legitimate chance to win the NBA Finals.

Boston is favored by 7.5 points on the road on Monday night against Milwaukee, which is also playing the second night of a back-to-back after losing to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. DraftKings Sportsbook has the C's at +1100 to win the NBA Finals this season, which is tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best odds of any Eastern Conference team.

This story will be updated with Tatum's official status once Boston releases an injury report on Monday afternoon.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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