The Boston Celtics are heading into the 2023-24 NBA season with a revamped roster after a somewhat disappointing 2022-23 campaign.
After reaching the NBA Finals the year prior, Boston was ousted by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals despite nearly overcoming a 3-0 series deficit. In response, the Celtics made the drastic offseason decision to trade tone-setter Marcus Smart and acquire Kristaps Porziņģis.
With Jayson Tatum fresh off the best season of his career and Jaylen Brown locked into a long-term extension, Boston looks poised to make another run at the title in 2024.
Here are the best Boston Celtics odds for the 2023-24 season and some of the best bets you can make on the team this year.
Celtics Odds 2023
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Celtics Prop Bets 2023
NBA lines are current as of Wednesday, Aug. 9, at 11 a.m. ET. To see updated Celtics odds and lines, use the widget above.
Celtics: Win In-Season Tournament Group (-110)
Caesars Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
Boston got a terrific draw, according to the NBA In-Season Tournament odds. The Celtics are the only team in the NBA with minus-odds to win their In-Season Tournament group, which is a testament to the strength of this team — and the lack of talent in the rest of East Group C.
Other teams in Boston’s pool include the Toronto Raptors (+500), Chicago Bulls (+550), Orlando Magic (+600), and Brooklyn Nets (+625). The Nets (45-37) finished with the best record of those four this past season, but without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving this year, they won’t be nearly as great.
The Raptors also lost All-Star guard Fred VanVleet over the summer, who joined the Houston Rockets via free agency. That leaves the Bulls and Magic as the remaining contenders, but neither comes close to matching what the Celtics bring to the table, making this my NBA bet of the day.
Celtics: Over 53.5 Wins (+100)
Caesars Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
The Celtics went 57-25 in 2022-23, good for the second-best record in the NBA. Only three teams finished above this mark last season, and all ranked near the top of the NBA Finals odds: Milwaukee, Boston, and Philadelphia.
The East is not as much a bloodbath as the West is, which bodes well for Boston’s chances of surpassing this total. It certainly helps to have teams like the Pistons, Hornets, and Wizards on your schedule more than twice per year, although the Celtics are stuck in one of the more difficult divisions in basketball.
Boston’s offensive ceiling is also higher this season, which should translate to more regular-season victories. The addition of Porziņģis — if he can stay healthy — provides this team with another proven scorer behind Tatum and Brown, further bolstering what was already a strength last year.
Celtics: East No. 1 Seed (+150)
Caesars Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.5 Units
Piggybacking off my previous suggestion, I would also consider placing a smaller wager on the Celtics to earn the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Boston missed out on this feat by one game last season (only the Bucks had a better record), but with Milwaukee entering a new era under coach Adrian Griffin, there could be some missteps early on. Philadelphia could also decline without James Harden.
There’s no reason why the Celtics can’t lead the league in wins this season. The latest NBA Eastern Conference odds have them pegged as the favorite, but at (+150), I still believe there’s some value here.
Celtics Betting in Massachusetts
Looking to start betting on the Boston Celtics in Massachusetts? There’s no better place to begin than our Massachusetts sports betting page, where we highlight the top sportsbooks, offers, and promotions to help you make the most of your experience.
How to Bet on Celtics Games 2023
How to Bet Celtics Moneylines
New to NBA betting? Consider wagering on moneylines, which are the most simple bets to understand. All you have to do to win your moneyline bet is correctly pick the winner of a game. Sounds easy enough, right?
A team’s moneyline odds will vary depending upon each matchup. For example, the Celtics would be a heavier favorite against a team like the Knicks than they would be against the Nets. They might be a (-240) favorite vs the Knicks but a (-130) favorite over the Nets.
In the cases above, a $24 bet on Bostin beating New York would win you $10, while a $13 bet would turn you the same profit if it beat Brooklyn. Alternatively, a $10 bet on a team with (+130) odds would win you $13.
- 2022-23 Celtics Moneyline Record: 57-25
How to Bet Celtics Spreads
Spread betting is all about the margin of victory, and it goes both ways. If one team fails to cover the spread, the other one would cover by default (except in the case of a push, where the margin of victory is the same as the spread).
As is the case with moneylines, there are favorites and underdogs with spread bets, too. If the Celtics are playing the Knicks, for example, the spread wagers might look like this at a betting site: Knicks +9.5 (-110) vs Celtics -9.5 (-110).
In the given scenario, the Celtics would need to win the game by 10 points to cover the spread. Alternatively, if the Knicks win the game or lose by fewer than nine points, they would cover the spread.
Spread betting can be a good way to find value in a game where the moneyline doesn’t present the same opportunity for profit.
- 2022-23 Celtics Against the Spread Record: 46-36-0
How to Bet Celtics Over/Unders
If you’re truly stumped on how a game will be decided but feel confident that it will at least be a high- or low-scoring contest, betting Over/Unders could be the way to go.
Here, all you have to do is decide whether the combined scoring margin in a game will be higher (Over) or lower (Under) than the projected total, which is set by sportsbooks before tip-off.
For example, in a Celtics vs Knicks game, the total might be set at 222.5 points. From there, you’d choose whether you believe there will be less than 222 points scored in the game, or 223 or more.
- 2022-23 Celtics Over/Under Record: 42-38-2
