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The top two teams in the Eastern Conference face off in a nationally televised game Monday night when the Detroit Pistons host the Boston Celtics in an NBA MLK Day 2026 matchup. The Pistons (30-10) lead the Central Division and are 4.5 games ahead of Atlantic Division leader Boston (26-15) in the conference standings. The Pistons have won five of their past six games, most recently a 121-78 rout of the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. The Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks 132-106 on Saturday for their second straight win after losing three of their previous four. This is the fourth meeting between the teams this season, with the Pistons winning two so far, including 112-105 in the most recent matchup in Boston on Dec. 15. The Celtics are dealing with the absence of Jayson Tatum (torn Achilles), but Jaylen Brown has stepped up, and he poured in 41 points Saturday. Cade Cunningham continues to play at an elite level, averaging 25.9 points and 9.6 assists, as the driving force for the Pistons.          

The Celtics vs. Pistons MLK Day 2026 matchup tips off Monday at 8 p.m. ET at Detroit's Little Caesars Arena. The Pistons are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Celtics vs. Pistons odds, and the over/under for total points set at 224.5. The Pistons are -156 money-line favorites, with Boston priced at +130. 

Brown and Cunningham will be on their own missions in this critical game to set the tone for the second half of the season in the East. However, only the Oklahoma City Thunder are better defensively than either of these teams, so points could be tough to come by. There are many other options for building an NBA same-game parlay, and you can back or fade on NBA player props based on the numbers. Pistons vs. Celtics features endless options to build a strong same-game parlay at DraftKings Sportsbook for Monday, no matter which way you think this one will go.

Celtics vs. Pistons NBA same-game parlay picks

  • Celtics +3.5
  • Jaylen Brown Over 41.5 Points + Assists + Rebounds
  • Cade Cunningham Under 9.5 Assists

Celtics +3.5

Boston is 23-18 against the spread this season and 14-8 ATS on the road. The Celtics have the second-best defense in the NBA, allowing 110.1 points per game, and Detroit is third (110.3), so this should be a tight one and is one of the lower totals on the board for Monday. The model has this as a one-point game, with the Pistons covering in 53% of simulations and winning outright 48% of the time as +130 underdogs.        

Jaylen Brown Over 41.5 Points + Assists + Rebounds

Brown nearly went Over this number in points alone Saturday, and SportsLine NBA expert Mike Barner expects him to have another good night against the Pistons. "These teams have already played each other three times," says Barner, who got this when the number was 40.5. "In those three games, Brown recorded 51, 48 and 49 combined points, rebounds and assists." The expert also points out that Brown has reached at least 41 PRA in 17 of his past 22 games.

Cade Cunningham Under 9.5 Assists

Cunningham is second in the NBA in averaging 9.6 assists, but the SportsLine props model projects him for 8.3 on Monday. He has failed to hit double digits in assists in five of his past 10 games and has done it once in the three matchups with the Celtics this season. Boston will be sure to focus on Cunningham, who has gone Under his assists number in three of his past five when favored and facing a defense in the top third of the league.

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