NESN

Mikey Adams: Wes Welker Will Play 16 Games in 2010

There are less than 24 hours left until the Celtics begin their quest for Banner No. 18 — but will they be able to get the job done against the Lakers for the second time in three years?

You don’t have to ask Mikey Adams twice.

“Do you even have to ask? Yes, of course they [will win],” the NESN insider told Cole Wright on Wednesday’s edition of SportsDesk. “This is part of history. This is going to be a great day for Green fans all over this country of ours. They’re going to win it in six.”

Meanwhile, things are certainly looking up in Red Sox Nation, thanks to Adrian Beltre‘s heroics on Tuesday against the A’s. The third baseman, who leads the team in RBIs, has definitely been more than Boston bargained for this season, while hurler John Lackey has been a bit underwhelming. Does that make Beltre Boston’s best offseason acquisition?

“Let me think for about 0.6 nanoseconds — yes he is,” Mikey said. “That’s no knock on Lackey — he could develop into that $85 million guy pretty quickly. But Beltre? Much more than we bargained for.”

And in Foxboro, the Patriots have started their OTA’s, and many were surprised to see Wes Welker participating in drills on Wednesday. Could he be recovering from a torn ACL and MCL earlier than expected?

Yes — and he’ll continue to surprise us in 2010, according to Mikey.

“Welker is driven, he’s tough as nails and modern science is a lot more than we ever thought it was,” Mikey said. “He’s going to play 16 games.”

For more on Kendry Morales‘ home run celebration-turned-leg injury, check out the video below.