{"id":169,"date":"2026-10-23T11:20:46","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T11:20:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/en\/?p=169"},"modified":"2026-10-23T13:29:52","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T13:29:52","slug":"boston-celtics-vs-detroit-pistons-preview-predictions-stats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nbamaniacs.com\/en\/boston-celtics-vs-detroit-pistons-preview-predictions-stats\/","title":{"rendered":"Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons: preview, predictions and stats"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Few venues are better to open the 2026-27 NBA season than the TD Garden in Boston, where the Celtics \u2013 now without Jaylen Brown and with Jayson Tatum as their sole leader \u2013 host a Detroit Pistons side eager to show that last season’s achievements were no flash in the pan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celtics vs Pistons date and time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Date:<\/strong> 20 October 2026 in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time<\/strong>: These are the tip-off times for Celtics vs Pistons by time zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UK, Ireland and Portugal<\/td>20:00<\/td><\/tr>
Dominican Republic, USA (Boston, New York and Miami), Puerto Rico and Venezuela<\/td>15:00<\/td><\/tr>
Mexico (central), USA (Texas and Chicago), El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua<\/td>14:00<\/td><\/tr>
Mexico (Pacific) and USA (Los Angeles)<\/td>12:00<\/td><\/tr>
Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay<\/td>16:00<\/td><\/tr>
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Panama<\/td>15:00<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Venue<\/strong>: TD Garden (Boston, Massachusetts)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celtics vs Pistons starting lineups<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Both teams arrive at the season opener with their rosters fully available, except for Devin Carter’s absence in Boston and Taurean Prince’s doubtful status in Detroit. Today they should start with these lineups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CELTICS<\/strong><\/td>PISTONS<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Payton Pritchard<\/td>Cade Cunningham<\/td><\/tr>
Derrick White<\/td>Duncan Robinson<\/td><\/tr>
Jayson Tatum<\/td>Ausar Thompson<\/td><\/tr>
Paul George<\/td>John Collins<\/td><\/tr>
Mitchell Robinson<\/td>Jalen Duren<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Celtics vs Pistons: best bet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Being the first day, playing at home, and with excitement running high at a fresh start, we lean towards a Boston win in this first game of the season; that said, it promises to be a clash full of strong emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celtics latest news: injuries and form<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Taking a step back to move two steps forward. That is more or less what the Green have planned this summer, when they parted ways with Jaylen Brown to welcome Paul George, who you can clearly argue is a lesser player, but that does not mean he will contribute less to the team as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is precisely why, now that he will be able to roam freely, a great deal is expected of Jayson Tatum, who will live through a ‘MVP career’ year and must prove that Boston was right to let go of the 2024 Finals MVP. We obviously trust him fully, both for his own talent and for the pieces around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Celtics<\/a> arrive at this first game as a solid side with no shortage of alternatives. Defence will once again be key, and it remains to be seen whether Joe Mazzulla gains a bit more flexibility so as not to bet almost everything on outside shooting. And keep an eye on Mitchell Robinson’s contribution!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Player to watch: Jayson Tatum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We cannot open the season with anyone else. The end of last campaign saw his return after a serious injury, and now is the time, finally in shape, to deliver the best version of his career. We expect a lot from his debut and from his season. Let us see how he fares against a truly physical opponent like the Detroit Pistons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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