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The New York Knicks host the Boston Celtics in a divisional battle on NBA TV! It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Celtics-Knicks prediction and pick.
The Celtics defeated the Chicago Bulls Friday night 123-119 to improve to (5-3) on the season. DeMar DeRozan scored 46 for the Bulls while Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 36 points. Both DeRozan and Tatum attempted at least 20 free throw attempts each which is rare to see in one game. The Celtics are on a back-to-back along with the Knicks as they meet for the first time this season.
The Knicks took down the Philadelphia 76ers 106-104 in another divisional matchup. Jalen Brunson scored 23 for the Knicks as they got a much-needed win. They improved to (4-4) on the year and avoided a 4-game losing streak.
Here are the Celtics-Knicks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Celtics-Knicks Odds
Boston Celtics: -4.5 (-110)
New York Knicks: +4.5 (-110)
Over: 225.5 (-108)
Under: 225.5 (-112)
Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread
The Celtics will be without Al Horford which will cause an issue on the boards tonight. They are already without Robert Williams, so Luke Kornet, Blake Griffin, and Noah Vonleh will need to all step up whoever gets the role. The Celtics are 25th in total rebounds per game so they could give up a ton of second-chance points tonight. Tatum and Jaylen Brown lead the team in rebounds per game anyway so you might not see much of a difference at all if everything goes well.
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As long as the Jays are playing well then they will be in every game they play in. Brown had an off night last night against the Bulls but Malcolm Brogdon stepped up off the bench. Brogdon scored 25 off of 9-10 shooting and also finished with four assists. Head coach Joe Mazzulla starts Derrick White over Brogdon which allows the former Pacer to control the second unit. Brogdon is starting to get familiar with the system and seems to be playing really well in his short time with Boston.
Why The Knicks Could Cover The Spread
The Knicks won't have starting center Mitchell Robinson in this game either. He left the game against the 76ers with a knee injury and could miss some time. Quentin Grimes is also questionable with foot soreness and the starting guard played 15 minutes against the Sixers last night.
Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett will need to have huge games in order to cover this spread. The Celtics are playing elite basketball offensively and the Knicks will need to try not to play catch up. Another player primed for a good game is Julius Randle. Without Horford, Randle has a chance to score 20+ points and dominate on the boards. He's played well against the Celtics in the past and is fresh off of a double-double against the Sixers.
The Knicks are 2nd in the NBA in rebounds and need to take advantage of that statistic tonight with Horford out. If they want to cover and even win this game, the boards and second-chance points will be the dealbreaker. The Celtics just don't have the size but they have a lot of star power.
Final Celtics-Knicks Prediction & Pick
Both teams are on a back-to-back and missing their starting centers. It should be a close game at the end but I think the Celtics pull away and win by at least five on the road.
Final Celtics-Knicks Prediction & Pick: Celtics -4.5 (-110)
