Creating a playoff-like environment in early December is no easy feat, but the NBA is looking to do just that with the new In-Season Tournament. And since this is the inaugural run of the regular season competition, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the Boston Celtics are hoping to be the very first team to hoist the NBA Cup.

At 15-4, the Celtics are in first place in the Eastern Conference and the winners of three straight games. However, they had to beat the odds to advance in the In-Season Tournament, overcoming a 23-point differential to escape group play and earn the right to face the Indiana Pacers in the Quarterfinals on Monday night.

Although winning East Group C was difficult for the C's, they're still viewed as one of the favorites with the best odds to win the NBA Cup, per FanDuel. So, let's delve into a few reasons why Vegas could be right about the Celtics winning the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament.

The Celtics have had a great start to the 2023-24 season

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The new-look Celtics have been on a roll early in their 2023-24 campaign.

They're a perfect 9-0 at home, won eight of their last 10 games, and share the best record in the league with the Minnesota Timberwolves. While one could argue that the Timberwolves have had the best start this season, as they even beat Boston 114-109 in early November, it's worth noting that they didn't reach the Knockout Rounds of the In-Season Tournament.

With franchise cornerstones Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown at the helm, the Celtics are top 10 in points per game. Plus, by adding All-Stars Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis this offseason, Boston bolstered its defense and is currently allowing the fourth-fewest points per outing in the NBA.

Two-way guard Derrick White rounds out Boston's talented starting five, and center Al Horford and shooter Sam Hauser have made strides on the bench. Even though the Celtics lost some of their depth this past summer, they've still managed to maintain their status as a title contender.

Boston has beaten every team on their side of the bracket before

Besides the C's, the Eastern Conference In-Season Tournament teams include the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, and Indiana Pacers:

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None of the squads will look unfamiliar to the Celtics, as they've defeated each one at least once already in the young season. Boston opened up the 2023-24 campaign by toppling the Knicks at Madison Square Garden and then beat them again in mid-November.

Against the Pacers, the Green Team scored the second-most points in franchise history en route to a 155-104 blowout victory. Of course, Indiana was without star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, so the Quarterfinals should be much more interesting.

As for Milwaukee, the Celtics prevailed 119-116 on Thanksgiving Eve. Boston largely dominated the highly-anticipated contest before having to hold off the storming Bucks late in the fourth quarter.

The Celtics have yet to play any of the Western Conference teams on the other side of the bracket, but there aren't any squads Boston can't go toe-to-toe with in the In-Season Tournament.

The Celtics could get fully healthy later on

For Monday night's matchup, the Celtics won't have Porzingis, as he's dealing with a calf strain. But, if the C's were able to beat Indiana, they'd potentially be at full strength, according to ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski.

“Porzingis is out for In Season Tourney quarters vs. Indiana Monday, but there’s increasing confidence he’ll be back in Vegas for IST Final 4 should Celtics advance,” Wojnarowski wrote on X.

The Celtics enjoyed near-perfect health for the first few weeks of the season, yet they've been without Porzingis since Friday, November 24th. While Boston is 4-0 when the Latvian big isn't in the lineup, Porzingis has been a steadying force this season, averaging 18.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. If the Celtics were able to get him back, they could go all the way in the In-Season Tournament.

First of all though, they'll have to cool down a red-hot Pacers offense. Indiana is averaging a whopping 128.8 points per game, which is the most in the league and considerably above the Atlanta Hawks' second-place mark of 123.2. Haliburton is still listed as questionable versus the Celtics due to an illness, but it's hard to imagine him sitting for this significant showdown.