Celtics vs. Rockets

While the market respects Boston's pedigree, we are prioritizing the Rockets due to their dominant 17-4 home record and Alperen Sengun’s elite form following a 39-point, 16-rebound masterclass against Indiana. The Celtics face a significant fatigue disadvantage on the second leg of a road back-to-back without Jayson Tatum, and the recent trade for Nikola Vucevic introduces a defensive integration gap that Houston’s interior scoring is mathematically primed to exploit.