Washington Wizards vs Boston Celtics Picks and Predictions October 24th 2024

Wizards vs Celtics October 24th 2024

The Boston Celtics (-889) are heavily favored (-13) on the road against the Washington Wizards (+579). The over/under line is set at 234 points.

This Eastern Conference matchup will be played at the Capital One Arena in Washington. The game will tip-off at 7:00 ET and can be seen on NBCS.

Celtics vs. Wizards Key Information

The Celtics opened their season with a dominant 132-109 win over the Knicks on Tuesday, October 22nd, moving to 1-0. Playing at home, Boston covered the -6 point spread with a +23 point victory.

Boston set the tone early, leading 43-24 after the 1st quarter. The teams traded points in the 2nd, each scoring 31. Boston pulled ahead further in the 3rd, outscoring New York 39-32, and despite a 12-0 run by the Knicks, the Celtics held on in the 4th. The game’s total points of 241.5 exceeded the O/U line of 221.5 by 19.5 points.

Jayson Tatum’s 37 points and 10 assists powered the Celtics to a 132-109 win over the Knicks, hitting 8 threes at a 72.7% clip. Derrick White added 24 points, knocking down 6 threes, while Jaylen Brown contributed 23 points and 5 made threes.

Boston connected on 29 threes, shooting 47.5% from beyond the arc and 50.5% overall. Tatum scored 15 points in the 1st quarter, adding 12 more in the 3rd, while White also had a big 3rd quarter with 13 points.

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Even with a rough defensive performance in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, the Celtics managed to hold the Knicks to 109 points, including just 22 in the 4th quarter, to secure the win. Boston struggled to contain New York’s shooting, allowing them to hit 55% from the field.

However, the Celtics did a good job defending the three-point line, where the Knicks shot 36% and made 11 threes. Boston also sent New York to the free-throw line 16 times, where they hit 12. The Celtics gave up 5 offensive rebounds while recording 6 steals and 3 blocks.

The Wizards finished last season 15-67, placing 14th in the Eastern Conference. They were 11-41 in conference games and 4-12 in divisional matchups, finishing 5th in the Southeast. Heading into this season, they are ranked 30th in our power rankings with a 0.0% chance of making the playoffs.

Against the spread, Washington went 14-68, with a 6-35 home record and an 8-33 road mark. As underdogs in 73 games, they posted a 13-60 record. Their games averaged 236.8 points, and their O/U record was 43-39, with an average line of 237 points.

Washington enters the season ranked 30th in our offensive power rankings. Last season, they averaged 113.7 points per game, ranking 17th, and led the league in possessions per game (102.3). They were 4th in field goal attempts per game (91.4) and shot 47.0% from the field, ranking 18th. From beyond the arc, they made 12.4 threes per game (21st) on 34.8% shooting (26th), attempting 35.5 per game (14th). They also ranked 25th in free throw attempts per game (20.2) and 28th in offensive rebounds per game (9.2).

Kyle Kuzma is projected to lead the team in scoring, ranking 35th in our league-wide projections. Last season, he averaged 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. Jordan Poole is projected to be the team’s second-leading scorer, ranking 62nd in our league-wide projections. Jonas Valanciunas, a key addition from the Pelicans, is projected to be 3rd on the team in scoring, ranking 91st in our league-wide projections.

Last season, the Wizards were the worst defensive team in the NBA, allowing 123 points per game, and we have them ranked 30th in our defensive power rankings. They allowed opponents to shoot 49.7% from the field, ranking 29th in the league, but were better at defending the three, holding teams to 36% shooting, which was 11th best in the NBA.

Jonas Valanciunas and Alexandre Sarr are key rebounders, with Valanciunas ranking among the top centers in the league. Washington was 24th in defensive rebounding last season and averaged 5.1 blocks per game, ranking 14th. They also finished 14th in steals, with 7.6 per game.

Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +13, the Wizards is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 234 and given that our model is projecting 287 points between the teams, we like the over.

Rebuilding Wizards Draw Red-Hot Celtics in Season Opener

The Washington Wizards will tip off their 2024-25 season on Thursday night at home against the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics. While Boston comes in fresh off a dominant win, the Wizards are deep in the midst of a rebuild as they look to make progress after a tough previous season.

Wizards Enter Season in Rebuild Mode

The Wizards are coming off a dismal 15-67 record last season, marking the worst finish in franchise history. Washington has embarked on a rebuild, and the team’s front office is focused on building for the future. General manager Will Dawkins summed up their approach during media day, outlining the stages of reconstruction:

“If we’re really to think about it — the phases of the rebuild — there’s the deconstruction phase. There’s the laying-the-foundation phase. There’s the building it back up, and then there’s fortifying what you build. We’re still focused on deconstructing and laying that foundation,” Dawkins said.

Washington made significant changes during the offseason, adding key pieces through the draft and free agency. Their first-round picks included No. 2 overall Alex Sarr, along with Carlton “Bub” Carrington (No. 14) and Kyshawn George (No. 24). The Wizards also brought in veterans Jonas Valanciunas, former Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon, and Saddiq Bey. However, Bey is expected to miss much of the season due to an ACL injury, and Brogdon is out for Thursday’s game with a torn thumb tendon.

Jordan Poole, acquired last season from the Golden State Warriors, will see an expanded role this year, especially as a point guard. New head coach Brian Keefe, who replaced Wes Unseld Jr. last January, will look to Poole to facilitate the offense.

“Being able to get into transition, building confidence into my teammates — it’s something I’ve always been able to do, especially with the ball,” Poole said. “Guys are open, just get them the ball and try to put them in situations to be successful.”

Celtics Ride Hot Start into Washington

The Boston Celtics opened their title defense with a scorching 132-109 victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night. The win showcased the Celtics’ incredible shooting ability, as they tied an NBA record by making 29 3-pointers in the game.

Al Horford hit the record-tying 29th three with 8:54 left in the game, but Boston went cold from there, missing their next 13 attempts from beyond the arc to close out the game. Still, their record-tying performance sent a message that the Celtics are firing on all cylinders to start the season.

“It’s almost like we got jinxed or something,” said Jaylen Brown, who contributed five 3-pointers of his own. “When we were just playing, having fun, playing our style of basketball, everything was going in. And then once the crowd got into it and we started hunting them, we couldn’t even hit the broad side of the barn.”

Jayson Tatum led the way for Boston with 37 points, including eight 3-pointers. Derrick White added six from beyond the arc, while Brown (five), Jrue Holiday (four), Horford (three), and Sam Hauser (two) all made significant contributions from deep.

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“The biggest thing I’m proud of us is the mindset of the guys,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “We weren’t stuck in the past. … We were physical on defense and were together on offense. It’s a great start.”

Wizards Seek to Start Strong

The Wizards haven’t won 50 games in a season since 1979, which was also the last time the franchise advanced to the NBA Finals. But despite the long playoff drought and ongoing rebuild, Washington players remain optimistic about the upcoming season, with Kyle Kuzma speaking highly of the team’s chemistry and character:

“This is the best team I’ve been around in terms of chemistry, camaraderie and character since I’ve been in Washington,” Kuzma said.

While Boston enters the game as heavy favorites, Washington will look to start strong and build momentum for their rebuilding process. For the Wizards, this season opener is an opportunity to show progress against a powerhouse opponent, while the Celtics will aim to continue their hot streak and build on their championship aspirations.