A Celtics schedule deep dive and record prediction

Yes, every game matters. Yes, the team will say that they’re not looking ahead and treating every opponent on a night-to-night basis. And yes, the Celtics play 41 home games and 41 road games and each one weighs exactly the same at the end of the regular season.

However, it’s natural to group things together. “If I can get through this week, I’ll be OK.” For teams heading out west on the road and then subsequently coming back east for an extended homestand, you can’t blame them for thinking of an NBA’s 82-game schedule in manageable chunks.

CelticsBlog’s Jack Simone previewed some of the schedule’s highlights, but let’s dig a little deeper into what the Celtics will be facing in two months:

76ers, at Heat, at Magic, at Bulls
After kicking off the regular season against a division rival, the Celtics immediately hit the road for three-games-in-four-nights for a good litmus test of how well training camp went. PREDICTION: 3-1

Cavaliers, Wizards, at Cavaliers, Bulls, at Knicks, at Grizzlies, Pistons, Nuggets, at Pistons, Thunder
The Celtics early schedule is peppered with two game sets. Double meetings with Chicago, Cleveland, and Detroit provide a good test of how well the team can adjust from one game to another. Two weekend home-and-away back-to-backs will give us a hint of how head coach Ime Udoka plans on resting Al Horford and even Robert Williams. That 10-game stretch also includes a November 7th date with Memphis followed by the entire league not playing November 8th for the mid-term elections. Get to the polls, folks. PREDICTION: 7-3

at Hawks, at Pelicans, at Bulls
A very accommodating roadie here. Sweep, make a statement, and we’re on a roll. PREDICTION: 3-0

Mavericks, Kings, Wizards, Hornets, Heat, Heat
Twelve days in Boston during Thanksgiving weekend and the Celtics should feast. There’s a meeting with Luka Doncic and a revenge game of sorts with Dallas beating Boston on KG Day last season and a back-to-back rematch of the Eastern Conference Finals vs. Miami. PREDICTON: 5-1

at Nets, at Raptors, at Suns, at Warriors, at Clippers, at Lakers
Here’s the first gauntlet. That east-to-west road trip is bookended by back-to-backs and of course, a Saturday night visit to the Bay. The Celtics have traditionally made a statement on this winter sojourn — for better or for worse. Get a split and enjoy the holidays back in Boston. PREDICTION: 3-3

Magic, Magic, Pacers, Timberwolves, Bucks, Rockets, Clippers
As many…