Will the Celtics repeat? Experts make 2025 NBA Finals predictions originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

For the first time in several years, there is a strong consensus among experts about which team will win the NBA championship at the start of a new season.

The overwhelming favorites are the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics won their league-record 18th last season after eliminating the Dallas Mavericks in a five-game NBA Finals series. Most champions lose important pieces the following offseason. It’s usually expensive to recreate the same roster, and some players simply desire larger roles.

But the Celtics accomplished a rare feat by returning nearly the same roster for their title defense. The 11 players with the highest minutes played per game from last season all return for the 2024-25 season, which begins Tuesday night when the C’s raise their 2024 championship banner and receive their rings before playing at TD Garden against the New York Knicks are playing.

The Celtics and Thunder were the only two teams to finish in the top five in both offensive and defensive rating last season, and both are favorites to win their respective conferences this year.

The Celtics have a deep roster with great depth, top-notch coaching and a lot of motivation, even though they just won a title. The Thunder are young, hungry and have a great roster that could get even better before the trade deadline considering all the assets available to general manager Sam Presti.

Which team will win the Larry O’Brien Trophy this season? Can the Celtics become the first repeat champions since the Golden State Warriors in 2016-17 and 2017-18?

Here’s a roundup of experts’ 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 games

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! sport: Celtics over Thunder

Tom Haberstroh, Yahoo! sport: Thunder over Celtics

Dan Devine, Yahoo! sport: 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