Celtics 2018-19 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions
Everything is there for the taking for the Boston Celtics.
After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals and losing Game 7 to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward sidelined with injuries last season, a healthy Celtics squad will set its sights anew on the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
The health is a positive, but Boston also won't have to worry about James in the East after he left for the Los Angeles Lakers. A spot in the NBA Finals is a realistic goal for this squad, especially in a conference that is relatively devoid of challengers outside of the Philadelphia 76ers and perhaps the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers.
Boston now knows the schedule it must navigate to clinch a favorable seed come playoff time and set the stage for a deep run.
2018-19 Details
Season Opener: Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers, Oct. 16, at 8 p.m. ET
Championship Odds: 11-2, per OddsShark
Full Schedule: NBA.com
Top Matchups
Philadelphia 76ers: First Home Game (Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 8 p.m. ET)
Boston beat Philadelphia in five games in the second round of last season's playoffs, but one contest went to overtime, one was decided by two points and one was decided by five. The series was closer than its length indicates, and it is not difficult to envision the Celtics and 76ers battling for Eastern Conference supremacy for years to come.
The dynamic duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid has a year of experience under its belt, and complementary pieces Robert Covington, Dario Saric and JJ Redick are back for another playoff run.
The head-to-head contests between the 76ers and Celtics figure to go a long way toward dictating which team has home-court advantage in a potential playoff series.
Outside of the postseason implications, fans will have the opportunity to watch Simmons and Embiid battle with Irving, Hayward, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The star power alone makes these games worth the price of admission, and the chance it is setting up a memorable postseason clash only serves to raise the stakes.
Toronto Raptors: First Road Game (Friday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m. ET)
While plenty of attention will be paid to the showdowns between the Celtics and 76ers, it would behoove Boston to pay attention to Toronto as well.
After all, the Raptors finished with an Eastern Conference-best 59-23 record last season and no longer have to concern themselves with James, whose Cavs knocked them out of the playoffs in each of the past three years.
This isn't the same Raptors team, either, after they traded a package that included DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Kawhi Leonard. While Leonard played a mere nine games last season as he sat out with a quadriceps injury that generated plenty of headlines, he is one of the best two-way players in the league.
Leonard is talented enough to defend Hayward, Brown or Tatum on the wing while matching Irving's offensive production on the other side. Throw in All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry and Toronto has the firepower to compete with the Celtics throughout the season.
Much like the head-to-head games with the 76ers, these contests with Toronto will affect home-court advantage and determine which team emerges from the Eastern Conference with James no longer standing in the way.
Prediction
The Celtics have everything an NBA team could ask for: the depth to get through a long season, a well-respected head coach in Brad Stevens, veteran leaders, young playmakers and go-to offensive options who can put the team on their backs when necessary.
Irving is the floor general and capable of leading the team in scoring, but Boston has six other players in Terry Rozier, Brown, Tatum, Marcus Smart, Horford and Hayward who have proved they can take over for stretches.
That type of depth, as well as a lighter Eastern Conference schedule and plenty of motivation to earn the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage in a season when there are NBA Finals expectations, will lead to a dominant campaign from Boston.
Record Prediction: 60-22
