It's finally time and the stage is set for the marquee NBA Matchup on ESPN featuring two top team in the Eastern Conference. We'll bring you a betting prediction and pick as the Boston Celtics (44-12) take on the New York Knicks (34-22) for another installation of this historic rivalry. Check out our NBA odds series for our Celtics-Knicks prediction and pick.

The Boston Celtics are currently leading the Eastern Conference by seven games and they're owners of the best record in the NBA. They're currently riding a seven-game winning streak ahead of this one and haven't lost a step through the All-Star break. With this being the fourth meeting between these two teams, the Celtics will look to stay perfect at 4-0.

The New York Knicks are currently second in the Atlantic Division and they hold the four-spot in the Eastern standings. After a long winning streak, they hobbled into All-Star Weekend and have gone just 2-5 over the last seven games. They were able to get a big win over Philadelphia in their last game as they took the 110-96 dub on the road. They're looking for their first this season against Boston.

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NBA Odds: Celtics-Knicks Odds

Boston Celtics: -7 (-110)

Moneyline: -295

New York Knicks: +7 (-110)

Moneyline: +240

Over: 222 (-112)

Under: 222 (-108)

How to Watch Celtics vs. Knicks

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET/ 5:30 p.m. PT

TV: ABC, ESPN, NBA League Pass

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread/Win

The Celtics look to be right in form after a busy All-Star Weekend for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as other players have stepped up following the rest and continue to contribute big minutes. Derrick White has been on fire and he scored a game-high 28 points in Boston's last 129-112 win over the Chicago Bulls. They notched a season-high seventh straight win at Chicago and they'll continue their current road trip with this historic rivalry. Look for the Celtics to continue having confidence against this team, especially without Julius Randle having a say in the matter.

As of now, the Celtics look like the most complete team in the NBA and are the odds-on favorites to hoist the championship trophy. Jayson Tatum has been elevating his play as the season wears on and he's garnering serious conversations in the MVP race. He'll be the first to tell you he's the best player in the NBA, but he's much more focused on bringing this Boston team a title. Playing at MSG is always a massive spot for him, so expect him and Brown to lead the efforts against the Knicks.

Why The Knicks Could Cover The Spread/Win

With Julius Randle out for the unforeseeable future, this team has officially been put on the shoulders of Jalen Brunson to take them as far as he can. He's been the definition of resilience throughout his career and his grit is a perfect embodiment of this team as a whole. Randle still isn't ruling out the possibility of surgery for his injury, so it'll be up to Jalen Brunson to find the spark and equip this team for a playoff run. That mission starts here against a Celtics team they haven't figured out all year.

With the smaller lineup the Knicks play with, they seriously struggle with the size and length of Boston's wing players. Without Julius Randle, they lack a certain level of physicality and it'll be tough for them to contend inside if Kristaps Porzingis begins to attack them aggressively. Expect the Knicks to double him in those situations as they wait for Mitchell Robinson to return to the lineup and anchor them inside.

Final Celtics-Knicks Prediction & Pick

Basketball seems to be a better place when the Celtics and Knicks are playing well and with both of these teams in the top-four of the East, every game proves to be a huge matchup with the highest stakes. While they're schedule to meet once more after this game, the Celtics have won all three meetings so far by a combined total of 30 points. The Knicks will play as underdogs once again as they've failed to cover the last two meetings.

The last two meetings in Boston weren't particularly close, but the Knicks should put forth a better effort with their 19-8 home record this season. Still, the Celtics are playing top-notch basketball right now and with Julius Randle out for the Knicks, expect Kristaps Porzingis to have a big night returning to MSG once again. Let's roll with the Boston Celtics to cover the spread.

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Final Celtics-Knicks Prediction & Pick: Boston Celtics -7 (-110)