Boston Celtics 2026-27
The Boston Celtics went 56-26 in 2025-26 and ranked 4th in net rating and 4th in defense. The sportsbooks set their 2026-27 win total at 51.5. Our model has them at 53 wins, and our projected record, which weights the line three to one, is 52-30, the No. 2 seed in the East. The model and the line are within five wins of each other, so there's no lean.
The question
Who joins White, George and Tatum in the starting five, Pritchard or Scheierman/Hauser on the wing and Queta or Mitchell Robinson at center, and how hard will Mazzulla manage the minutes of 36-year-old George and Tatum, back from his Achilles?
Projected starters
Reporting confidence: medium.
Bench rotation
Baylor Scheierman · Sam Hauser · Mitchell Robinson · Mike Conley · Hugo Gonzalez · Jordan Walsh · Ron Harper Jr. · Luka Garza
Players at 1.73 or better on AQI
- Jayson Tatum 3.28 (2024-25)
- Derrick White 2.45
- Neemias Queta 2.34
- Payton Pritchard 1.92
Top-three salaries, 2025-26 games
Jayson Tatum 16; Paul George 37; Derrick White 77 (45% of possible games)
Injuries
No significant injuries reported.
Rookies to watch
- Chris Cenac Jr. (No. 27): Bench contributor in the Oct 8 preseason win at CLE. No sign of a regular rotation role yet.
Roster and contracts
| Player | Pos | Age | 2026-27 salary | AQI | AQI season | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayson Tatum | F | 28 | $58.5M | 3.28 | 2024-25 | |
| Paul George | F | 36 | $54.1M | 0.93 | 2025-26 | |
| Derrick White | G | 32 | $30.3M | 2.45 | 2025-26 | |
| Sam Hauser | F | 28 | $10.8M | 1.50 | 2025-26 | |
| Payton Pritchard | G | 28 | $7.8M | 1.92 | 2025-26 | |
| Devin Carter | G | 24 | $5.2M | — | Day-To-Day | |
| Hugo Gonzalez | G | 20 | $2.9M | 1.37 | 2025-26 | |
| Luka Garza | C | 27 | $2.8M | 1.20 | 2025-26 | Day-To-Day |
| Baylor Scheierman | G | 26 | $2.7M | 0.95 | 2025-26 | |
| Neemias Queta | C | 27 | $2.7M | 2.34 | 2025-26 | |
| Jordan Walsh | G | 22 | $2.4M | 0.54 | 2025-26 | |
| Chris Cenac Jr.Rookie | F | 19 | — | — | ||
| Mike Conley | G | 39 | — | 1.13 | 2024-25 | |
| Tucker DeVriesRookie | F | 23 | — | — | ||
| Hayden Gray | G | 23 | — | — | ||
| Ron Harper Jr. | G | 26 | — | — | Day-To-Day | |
| Gabe McGlothanRookie | F | 27 | — | — | ||
| Dillon MitchellRookie | F | 23 | — | — | ||
| Mitchell Robinson | C | 28 | — | 0.87 | 2025-26 | |
| Milos UzanRookie | G | 23 | — | — | ||
| Amari Williams | F | 24 | — | — |
AQI is a player's on-court net rating × usage × (true shooting ÷ 0.550): his 2025-26 number if he played 1,000 minutes, otherwise his latest 1,500-minute season. Highlighted players are at or above 1.73, the floor every champion's best player has cleared. Salaries and injury designations from ESPN as of October 13, 2026.
Common questions
What is the Boston Celtics win total for 2026-27?
The median win total across BetMGM, DraftKings, Caesars, bet365 and BetRivers is 51.5 (BetMGM 51.5 · BetRivers 50.5 · Caesars 51.5).
How many games will the Celtics win in 2026-27?
DataDunkNBA projects 52-30. The model and the line are within five wins of each other, so there's no lean.
Who is injured for the Celtics?
No significant injuries were reported as of October 13, 2026.
East projected standings
| Seed | Team | Line | Our record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York Knicks | 52.5 | 52-30 |
| 2 | Boston Celtics | 51.5 | 52-30 |
| 3 | Detroit Pistons | 48.5 | 50-32 |
| 4 | Philadelphia 76ers | 50.5 | 48-34 |
| 5 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 48.5 | 48-34 |
| 6 | Toronto Raptors | 46.5 | 46-36 |
| 7 | Miami Heat | 46.5 | 45-37 |
| 8 | Orlando Magic | 43.5 | 43-39 |
| 9 | Atlanta Hawks | 43.5 | 43-39 |
| 10 | Charlotte Hornets | 38.5 | 40-42 |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | 43.5 | 40-42 |
| 12 | Washington Wizards | 34.5 | 32-50 |
| 13 | Chicago Bulls | 29.5 | 30-52 |
| 14 | Milwaukee Bucks | 25.5 | 27-55 |
| 15 | Brooklyn Nets | 24.5 | 25-57 |
Read the full reasoning for every team in Vegas vs. the Numbers: our 2026-27 predictions, and how the contender tests work in the four tests preview and the AQI explainer.