It's time for a betting prediction and pick in the NBA as we renew this classic rivalry in the Eastern Conference. The New York Knicks (13-6) take on the Boston Celtics (11-9) with New York leading the season series 1-0. Check our NBA odds series for the Knicks-Celtics prediction and pick.
The New York Knicks are currently second in the Eastern Conference behind Detroit, most recently taking down the Raptors 116-94. It marked their fourth consecutive win, all but one coming by double-digits. Now, they look for their second win over Boston as the betting underdogs this time around.
The Boston Celtics are eighth in the East as of now, most recently upsetting the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-115. They've picked things up with six wins over their last eight games, in a great spot at home to find revenge against their divisional rivals.
NBA odds courtesy of DraftKings
Knicks vs. Celtics Odds
New York Knicks: +1.5 (-120)
Boston Celtics: -1.5 (+100)
Over: 231.5 (-110)
Under: 231.5 (-110)
Knicks vs. Celtics Key Injuries
New York: OG Anunoby, OUT (hamstring) / Landry Shamet, OUT (shoulder)
Boston: Jayson Tatum, OUT (achilles)
Knicks vs. Celtics Betting Trends
- The Boston Celtics are 6-4 at home. The New York Knicks are 3-5 on the road.
- The Celtics are 7-4 as betting favorites, the Celtics are 1-2 as underdogs.
- The Celtics are 10-10 ATS overall, 5-5 ATS at home. The Knicks are 12-7 ATS overall, but only 2-7 ATS on the road.
- The New York Knicks are 4-1 ATS in their last five games.
- The Boston Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last six games.
- Knicks' Last 5: 4-1
- Celtics Last 5: 3-2
Keys to Knicks vs. Celtics Matchup
With both teams coming into this game relatively healthy, we should be in for a more competitive meeting than the Knicks' 105-95 victory last time out against the Celtics. Both teams dug in on the defensive floor during that game and the Celtics actually shot 43% from the field compared to New York's 38%. The Knicks also led in turnovers with a whopping 20, but out-rebounded the Celtics 53-37 in what turned out to be the deciding factor.
The Knicks have out-performed at home this season, where they hosted the Celtics last, but they're rightfully the underdogs with the way they've been playing on the road. Still, they're 6-2 ATS in their last meetings against the Celtics and will confidently come into this one having covered the spread their last time out. Look for Jalen Brunson to attack the basket early with three games of 30 or more points over their last five.
The Celtics' defense hasn't been as good and without Jayson Tatum on the floor, they've clearly struggled at times to score the ball in a sustainable matter. However, it's opened the floor for a player like Payton Pritchard to really test himself in scoring the basketball and creating shots for himself, second on the team in scoring behind Jaylen Brown with 17.5 PPG.
The Celtics should be able to control the pace of this game at home thanks to their ball movement and flow in the half-court offense. While they're not as dangerous in transition, the trio of Brown, Pritchard, and Derrick White is averaging 14.7 APG and have no issues in swinging the ball to find the open man. With Knicks' OG Anunoby out in this game, it should relieve some pressure off the on-ball defense.
Knicks vs. Celtics Prediction and Pick
While the first meeting between these teams wasn't particularly close, the New York Knicks still struggled on offense while simultaneously shutting the Celtics down with their defense. Their woes on the road this season have been apparent, but that's clearly a trend that will revert back to a more positive mean over the course of the season.
The real question here will be whether the Boston Celtics can sustain enough offense throughout this game with their slower pace of play. Karl-Anthony Towns could be the x-factor for the Knicks if he's able to have a dominant performance.
The Knicks have been playing well against the spread leading up to this game and they seem to have an aura of confidence playing a Celtics team without Jayson Tatum as the main threat. For our final prediction, let's roll with the New York Knicks to win this game outright as the total under should hit once again.
Final Knicks-Celtics Prediction and Pick: New York Knicks +1.5 (-120); UNDER 231.5 (-110)
