Al Horford, Joe Mazzulla and Payton Pritchard discuss their emotions ahead of the Celtics banner-raising ceremony at the season home opener vs. the Knicks.
For the first time in several years, there's a strong consensus among experts on which team will win the NBA championship with a new season about to start.
The overwhelming favorite is the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics won their league record 18th title last season after eliminating the Dallas Mavericks in a five-game NBA Finals series. Most champions lose key pieces the following offseason. It's usually expensive to bring back the same roster, and some players just want larger roles.
But the Celtics pulled off a rare feat by bringing back nearly the same roster for their title defense. The top 11 players in minutes played per game from last season are all returning for the 2024-25 campaign, which starts Tuesday night when the C's raise their 2024 championship banner and get their rings before playing the New York Knicks at TD Garden.
More Celtics coverage
The Celtics and Thunder were the only two teams to finish top five in both offensive and defensive rating last season, and both of them are the favorites to win their respective conferences this year.
The Celtics have a loaded roster with great depth, elite coaching and plenty of motivation despite just winning a title. The Thunder are young, hungry and have a tremendous roster that could get even better ahead of the trade deadline when you consider all of the assets at general manager Sam Presti's disposal.
Which team will win the Larry O'Brien Trophy this season? Can the Celtics become the first repeat champ since the Golden State Warriors in 2016-17 and 2017-18?
Here's a roundup of expert predictions for the winner of the 2025 NBA Finals.
Zach Lowe: Celtics over Thunder
Tim Bontemps, ESPN: Celtics over Thunder in six
Bobby Marks, ESPN: Celtics over Suns in six
Ramona Shelburne, ESPN: Celtics over Thunder in seven
Marcus Spears, ESPN: Celtics over Thunder in five
John Hollinger, The Athletic: Celtics over Thunder
Steve Aschburner, NBA.com: Celtics over Timberwolves
Kevin O'Connor, Yahoo! Sports: Celtics over Thunder
Tom Haberstroh, Yahoo! Sports: Thunder over Celtics
Dan Devine, Yahoo! Sports: Thunder over Celtics
Stefan Bondy, New York Post: Celtics over Timberwolves
James Herbert, CBS Sports: Celtics over Thunder
Avery Johnson, CBS Sports: Celtics over Mavericks
Howard Beck, The Ringer: Thunder over Celtics
Rob Mahoney, The Ringer: Thunder over Celtics
