Oddsmakers Reveal Surprising Celtics Outlook After Wild Offseason originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Celtics’ unusual offseason has created plenty of questions about how they will measure up against the Eastern Conference’s best teams. Oddsmakers, however, apparently believe Boston remains capable of making some noise.
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Celtics as the favorite to represent the East in the 2026 Emirates NBA Cup championship. The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder have shorter odds to win the entire tournament, but Boston’s favorable path could put the franchise in position to compete for a trophy before the calendar flips to 2027.
That level of confidence is particularly noteworthy after the Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and a collection of draft picks. The dramatic deal complicated Boston’s championship outlook, with the Celtics sitting behind the New York Knicks and 76ers in the Eastern Conference futures market.
The NBA Cup could tell a different story.
Celtics Handed Favorable NBA Cup Group
Boston will compete in East Group C alongside the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards. None of those four teams is viewed as a leading championship contender entering the season. That does not guarantee anything for the Celtics, especially in a tournament where point differential can determine which teams advance, but Boston clearly avoided the East’s most difficult group.
East Group B includes the Knicks, 76ers, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers. All five teams have legitimate postseason ambitions, and only one is guaranteed to win the group.The Celtics will not have to navigate that type of gauntlet during the opening stage.
Boston’s projected regular-season win total also reflects the belief that it should remain near the top of the conference. DraftKings set the Celtics’ total at 51.5 victories, just behind the defending champion Knicks. George’s health and ability to complement the rest of Boston’s roster will be significant factors. Still, the Celtics should have enough talent and experience to handle a manageable NBA Cup draw.
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Brad Stevens Could Receive Memorable Homecoming
The 2026 NBA Cup will begin Oct. 30, with every team playing four group-stage games. The six group winners and one wild-card team from each conference will advance to the single-elimination knockout rounds. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Dec. 4 and 5, followed by the semifinals Dec. 8 and 9. The championship game will be played Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
That venue carries special meaning for Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens. Stevens coached at Butler from 2001 through 2013, first as an assistant and then as the program’s head coach. He led the Bulldogs to consecutive national championship game appearances before leaving for Boston.
A Celtics trip to Hinkle Fieldhouse therefore would produce one of the tournament’s best possible storylines. Boston has not enjoyed much recent NBA Cup success. The Celtics went 2-2 and failed to advance from the group stage last season, marking their second consecutive year without a knockout-round appearance.
Oddsmakers expect that trend to end this time. The NBA Cup cannot replace another championship banner at TD Garden, but it could offer an early indication that Boston’s remodeled roster is still capable of competing with the league’s best.