The 2025 NBA season kicks off with an exciting Eastern Conference clash featuring the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons on Monday. Currently, Detroit tops the East Division with a 20-5 record, while Boston trails in third place with a 15-10 record, five games behind. The teams have split their two previous encounters this season, both holding consistent overall records of 14 wins and 11 losses. The game will be played at Boston’s TD Garden at 7pm ET, with the Celtics favored by 1.5 points at home, and the over-under set at 230.5 points. Before making any betting decisions, fans are encouraged to review predictions and advice from the SportsLine Projection Model, which boasts a strong track record, having simulated every NBA game 10,000 times and achieved significant betting success over the past eight seasons.
The SportsLine model predicts the total score will exceed 230.5 points, citing recent trends of both teams surpassing this total in multiple consecutive games. It forecasts nine players will score in double digits, led by Boston’s Jaylen Brown with an average of 27.1 points and Detroit’s Cade Cunningham with 23.9 points in the simulation, projecting a total game score around 239 points. Additionally, one side of the spread is expected to hit nearly 70% of the time according to the model. Fans and bettors are encouraged to check out the full picks and insights on SportsLine to see which team and spread the model favors for this highly anticipated matchup.
Fan Take: This game is crucial for fans because it pits two competitive Eastern Conference teams against each other early in the season, potentially shaping the division standings. With star players like Jaylen Brown and Cade Cunningham in action and high-scoring expectations, it promises to be a thrilling contest that could set the tone for the rest of the season.

