The Celtics host the Trail Blazers at TD Garden on Monday, January 26, at 8:00 PM ET.
The Celtics are 28-17 and sitting second in the East, while the Trail Blazers are 23-23 and ninth in the West.
The Celtics’ last game was a 114-111 loss to the Bulls, and the Trail Blazers last played a 110-98 loss to the Raptors.
These teams already met once, with the Trail Blazers taking a 114-108 win on December 28, so the Celtics are trying to even the season series.
For the Celtics, Jaylen Brown has been the headliner at 29.8 points per game, and Derrick White has been the all-around engine at 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.
For the Trail Blazers, Deni Avdija is putting up 26.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.9 assists, while Shaedon Sharpe is at 21.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game.
Injury Report
Trail Blazers
Scoot Henderson: Out (left hamstring tear)
Damian Lillard: Out (left Achilles tendon)
Kris Murray: Out (lumbar strain)
Duop Reath: Out (right foot soreness)
Matisse Thybulle: Out (right knee tendinopathy)
Blake Wesley: Out (right foot fracture)
Deni Avdija: Questionable (lower back strain)
Robert Williams III: Questionable (left knee; injury management)
Celtics
Jayson Tatum: Out (right Achilles; repair)
Josh Minott: Questionable (left ankle sprain)
Neemias Queta: Questionable (illness; non-covid)
Why The Celtics Have The Advantage
This starts with the floor and the margin for error. The Celtics score 116.9 points per game, shoot 47.0% from the field and 36.9% from three, and they protect possessions with just 12.0 turnovers per game. That profile is built to punish short-handed teams, especially when the game settles into half-court stretches.
The other edge is defense that travels. The Celtics are allowing about 110.3 points per game, which is a different baseline than what the Trail Blazers have been able to sustain. If the Celtics get a normal shooting night, they can put the Trail Blazers into “trade buckets for threes” mode fast.
And the matchup context matters. The Celtics are still leaning into shot volume and spacing, and the Trail Blazers are coming in missing multiple ball-handlers and defensive pieces. It’s hard to win at TD Garden when you’re already starting the night behind on clean possessions.
Why The Trail Blazers Have The Advantage
The Trail Blazers’ path is pretty clear: force the Celtics to play in the mud, live at the line, and win the possession battle with physicality. They generate a lot of free throw attempts and can steal points when their shooting comes and goes.
They can also create stress with size and second chances if Robert Williams III is available, because the Celtics’ frontcourt rotation gets thinner when Queta is questionable. If the Trail Blazers can stack extra possessions, it shortens the game and makes every Celtics cold stretch feel bigger than it should.
Also, the Trail Blazers already proved they can beat this team once. That December win was a reminder that if their wings make enough shots and the Celtics get dragged into late-clock possessions, the upset math starts to look real.
X-Factors
Payton Pritchard is the Celtics’ swing piece because he can turn quick minutes into a lead instead of survival. He’s at 16.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game, and if the Trail Blazers send extra attention to Brown and White, Pritchard is the guy who makes the defense pay for cheating.
Anfernee Simons is another big one for spacing and rhythm off the bench. He’s at 13.9 points, and if he hits early pull-ups, it forces the defense to stretch and makes help rotations late.
For the Trail Blazers, Jrue Holiday is the stabilizer if things get chaotic. He’s at 15.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game, and his ability to control pace and protect the ball is crucial against a defense that thrives on turning one mistake into a run.
Jerami Grant is the “make them guard you honestly” guy. He’s at 19.2 points, and if he’s hitting threes and getting to his midrange spots, it keeps the defense from loading up on Avdija as the primary creator.
Prediction
I’m leaning Celtics because the math is brutal for the Trail Blazers right now. Shot quality, turnover discipline, and defensive baseline give them too many ways to win, even without Tatum. The Trail Blazers can absolutely hang around if the whistles and offensive boards tilt their way, but over 48 minutes, the Celtics’ spacing usually breaks teams like this.
Prediction: Celtics 119, Trail Blazers 110
