Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics Preview and Prediction | Nov. 6, 2024
The Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics skirmish at the TD Garden on Wednesday (Nov. 6) will be more than just two heavyweight sides meeting for the first time this NBA 2024-25 season. There are enough storylines leading into this particular game — starting with Jayson Tatum's 'revenge tour' after the 2024 Summer Olympics benching. His partner Jaylen Brown was a snub for the marquee event despite being the 2024 NBA Finals MVP and the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
Throw in the fact that Steve Kerr spearheaded the Olympics unit and that the Celtics crowd takes great pleasure in mocking Draymond Green—this game is more than just a regular-season meetup.
The Warriors taught the Celtics the classic lesson of failure — so massive that they put on an absolute clinic to win the championship two seasons later. While Boston is a powerhouse, Golden State has seen a few changes ringing in, and the new-look side, to their credit, has impressed as evidenced by the 6-1 record and their third-place standing in the West.
Both teams come off wins leading up to the midweek matchup. The defending champions notched up a comprehensive 123-93 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Bay area unit recorded a 123-113 win over the Washington Wizards with Steph Curry returning from his ankle injury.
The Warriors and the Celtics split their two meetings last season. The former won in OT in their first meeting, while Boston pummeled the Warriors with a dominant 140-88 win. They also lead the Warriors 210-140 in their head-to-head meetings.
Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics preview, predicted starting lineups, betting tips, odds, and prediction
The Warriors vs Celtics tips off at 7:30 PM ET. The game will be televised on ESPN, ESPN, NBCS-BA, and NBCS-BOS. Fans can also stream the game live on Fubo TV (Regional restrictions apply) and on the NBA app with a subscription to the NBA League Pass.
Here are the odds as listed at the time of writing.
Note: Odds are subject to change closer to tip-off
Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics preview
The Warriors have been off to a solid start this season, winning six of their seven games marking their best record since winning 11 of their 12 games to start the 2021-22 season. It ended with the Western Conference side winning the championship. Now, the Warriors will have to do it with a new-look team that still banks on Curry to shoulder their offense but has played their supporting roles to perfection.
The same goes for the Celtics, who despite dropping a game to the Indiana Pacers early on in the season, have bounced back with three wins on the bounce. That they did it without Brown (hip flexor strain) showed the side's versatility that saw them win the title last season. Their starting five has been the most-envied across the league primarily due to their swiss-knife-like precision and immaculate ball game.
Both teams are top five in the offensive rating this season. The Celtics are second with 121.8, and the Warriors are fourth with 118.9. The visitors do lead on the defensive rating with 102.1 (second in the league) compared to the Celtics' fourth-placed 107.7. Free throws are an issue for Golden State as they are making just 71.4% of them from the charity stripe.
The Celtics are a force at home, and the crowd behind them makes it more than just about taking the floor. Two in-form teams have one thing that separates them — championship DNA that the Warriors bring to the fore. Can the Celtics snap the Dubs' coasting run?
Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics predicted starting lineups
The Warriors will likely stick to the same lineup that took the court against the Wizards. It remains to be seen whether Kerr still puts Curry on a minutes restriction.
Golden State Warriors Injuries: De'Anthony Melton (back) will miss Wednesday's matchup against the Celtics.
The Celtics will likely play the same side that started against the Hawks earlier.
Boston Celtics injuries: Jaylen Brown (hip) and Kristaps Porzingis (foot) are ruled out of the contest.
Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics betting tips
Buddy Hield is one of the key names to watch out for. The sharpshooter is -103/-115 o/u on points. Jonathan Kuminga is -125/-137 on points. Jayson Tatum is -115/-111 on points + rebounds. Al Horford is -104/-120 on points + rebounds.
Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics prediction
The Warriors are electric on paper, but they will have a tough matchup against the Boston Celtics who are equally formidable. The latter does have the size advantage over the small-ball Golden State side. Take a close game with the Celtics winning it at home.