- 1 Detroit Pistons vs Boston Celtics: last season’s top seed against a rebuilt Boston
- 2 Detroit Pistons: 60 wins, a comeback from 1-3 down and four new rotation pieces
- 3 Boston Celtics: Tatum back, Brown gone and Paul George in his place
- 4 Free NBA Prediction: Detroit Pistons vs Boston Celtics
- 5 About our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About visuals
Detroit Pistons vs Boston Celtics: last season’s top seed against a rebuilt Boston 
Detroit won 60 of 82 games last season and finished first in the Eastern Conference. Their playoff run ended in the second round, beaten 125-94 by Cleveland in Game 7.
They start again on Tuesday afternoon against Boston, tip-off 3pm ET, in the first game of the 2026-27 season. The Celtics finished second in the East and went out in the first round, 4-3 to Philadelphia.
Boston’s summer was a rebuild. Jaylen Brown went to Philadelphia in the trade that brought Paul George and four draft picks to Boston, and Jayson Tatum is fit after the Achilles tear that wrecked most of his last campaign.
Detroit had the better of the regular-season series, three wins from four. The market still has this close: Detroit around 1.80 to 1.90, Boston between 1.97 and 2.05, a spread of 1.5 to 2.5 points and a total of 222.5 to 224.5.
I’m not convinced a Boston side with a new second star and a leader who played a fraction of last season should be priced this close on the road. Detroit kept the core of a 60-win team and added bodies around it.
Detroit Pistons: 60 wins, a comeback from 1-3 down and four new rotation pieces 
The first round showed what this group can survive. Orlando led the series 3-1 and Detroit won the next three to go through 4-3. Cleveland then took them to a seventh game and won it by 31.
The summer business was about depth. Collins came in from the Clippers, Harris and Prince from Milwaukee and Isaiah Joe from Oklahoma City. Stewart left for Memphis, Tobias Harris for San Antonio, LeVert for Milwaukee and Sasser for Dallas.
Jalen Duren averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds in the regular season, then 10 and 9 in the playoffs. Detroit kept him through a summer of trade talk around his name.
The expected starting five is Cunningham, Robinson, Thompson, Collins and Duren, with no player listed as out. Collins is the only new name in that group.
Detroit’s preseason brought wins over Phoenix (109-107) and Toronto (129-125) and defeats to Washington (114-108) and Minnesota (128-106). Their home record was one of the foundations of the 60-win season, and this one is in Detroit.
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Boston Celtics: Tatum back, Brown gone and Paul George in his place 
Tatum tore his Achilles in the 2025 playoffs and missed around 80% of last season. He returned on 6 March 2026 with 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting, 10 rebounds and seven assists in 27 minutes. There’s no workload restriction announced for Tuesday.
Boston still finished second in the East without him for most of the year, which speaks to the depth the rest of the roster had. Vucevic went back to Orlando, Brown went to Philadelphia, and Conley and Robinson came in.
Boston want George guarding Cunningham, so Derrick White isn’t the one Detroit keep screening off the ball. If that works, Boston’s perimeter defence gets longer and more switchable than it was last spring.
The probable starting five is White, Walsh, George, Tatum and Queta. Boston rested almost all of their front-line players in the final preseason game and expect everyone to be available.
The first-round exit to Philadelphia started with a 123-91 home win in Game 1. Boston led that series 3-1 and lost the next three.
Probable lineup Detroit Pistons: Cunningham, Robinson, Thompson, Collins, Duren
Probable lineup Boston Celtics: White, Walsh, George, Tatum, Queta
Free NBA Prediction: Detroit Pistons vs Boston Celtics
Our prediction: Detroit Pistons to win (1.86)
Detroit beat Boston three times in four last season and return the same starting core with three new rotation players behind it. They’re at home, in an afternoon slot, against a team still fitting a new starter into its defence.
The case for Boston is George on Cunningham and a healthy Tatum. Tatum’s comeback in March, though, came after a long layoff, and this is his first opening night since the injury. George has never played a minute next to him in a game that counted.
I’d back the Pistons on the moneyline at 1.86 rather than lay the points. The Under 222.5 is a reasonable second play at 1.74 for anyone expecting a slow, physical opener.
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