NBA Parlay Picks: Celtics Welcome Back Jayson Tatum

The final game in the current homestand for the Boston Celtics will be special tonight at TD Garden. That's because five-time NBA All-Star forward Jayson Tatum is returning to the team for his first game of the season.

Tatum has been named to the All-NBA first team the last four seasons. His game, which has grown since he was a teenage rookie in 2017, is inside-out: the athletic 6-foot-8 star can get to the rim, rebound, and shoot from long-range if needed. He's also one of the best passing forwards in the NBA.

(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Which is why his return to the Celtics could swing the advantage to New England and make Boston the favorite to win the Eastern Conference crown. FanDuel lists the Celtics as the favorites at +230 to win the East.

On Friday the Celtics host Dallas, and Tatum is expected to be in the starting lineup following a remarkably fast recovery from an Achilles tear he suffered in the playoffs last May.

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How Tatum's return helps Boston match up against Knicks, Pistons

How is it possible that Tatum is back so quickly? When Kevin Durant fully tore his Achilles, he missed 18 months. A 10-month rehab is unprecedented.

But apparently, Tatum has been on an aggressive schedule to strengthen his leg after the tear. His physician, a man with a very Celtic-fan name of Dr. Martin O'Malley, is impressed.

“At six or eight weeks he was doing double heel rises,” O'Malley told People magazine in an interview. “He worked his calf so hard that the side effect of loss of strength, I don’t think he’s going to have any. I don’t think I’ve seen a person’s calf look as strong as his.”

Well there you have it: the Tatum calf is mighty. Ah, to be young again.

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Celtics will receive a big boost with Tatum's return

Tatum is a generational talent. He may not get the hype that some other NBA stars do, but he's on track for legend status. So far through age 28, he has more rebounds than Tim Duncan did at this age.

With Tatum out of the lineup, the Celtics have managed to stay near the top of the standings. The Detroit Pistons are in a strong position to hold onto the No. 1 seed. However, Tatum's presence in the lineup helps Boston

But Detroit is relying heavily on All-Stars Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, a big/little combo. Tatum will help put pressure on Duren to move out from the paint on the defensive end, since he'll have to guard against a mid-range or long jump shot. The deft passing of Tatum will also work well against Detroit.

The other serious challenger to Boston are the Knicks, who eliminated the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs last May. But in the four games he played in that series, Tatum scored 42 points in Game 4 before his injury, with seven 3-pointers made. He's not known as "The Knick Killer" yet, but one more playoff series between the rival teams would give him the stage to beat them down again.

Boston is and should be favorites to represent the East in the NBA Finals now that Jayson Tatum is back on the court.

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Jayson Tatum Parlay vs. Mavericks

I don't always submit parlay tickets when betting the Celtics. But when I do, I like them to include Jayson Tatum. Odds are from FanDuel.

• Jayson Tatum to Score 15+ points
• Jayson Tatum to Record 6+ Rebounds
• Jayson Tatum to Make 2+ Three-Point Shots

My spread pick for Dallas vs. Boston is the Mavericks getting 14.5 points on the alternative line at +100. This is available from DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM.

I like Cooper Flagg's energy in Boston, where he's always dreamt of competing, to keep Dallas close enough to beat the spread at 14.5 points.

Why Tatum is a good parlay choice for Friday night

As his doctor says, Tatum has no reason to step gingerly on his formerly ruptured Achilles. The 28-year old is fully healed. Which means he will be able to explode to the hoop, pull down rebounds, and easily float to beyond the arc for 3-point tries.

This isn't Tatum's "spring training," he's tested the leg, been in the gym, and shooting. And shooting, and shooting.

Dallas is not great on the defensive boards, and allows 117 points per game, ranking ninth-worst in the NBA.

Also on the agenda tonight in Beantown: rookie Cooper Flagg will make his debut in TD Garden for the Mavericks. Flagg told Sports Illustrated that he's "really excited" to play in the arena. That only means tonight's game will have a frantic, up-tempo pace with lots of emotion on both sides.

The excitement at TD Garden will be near playoff level Friday night. I expected his teammates to fully swing their support behind Tatum, giving him plenty of chances to score. 15+ points should not be a problem for the man who averages about 23 points per game for his career.

Odds for this three-leg parlay are +481. My winning $100 bet would return $480. A $10 winning wager would net $48.10, which is enough to get a pizza and cheesy bread, and probably a soft drink or two. Or pay for a couple of your streaming services for a month.