The Boston Celtics will take on the New York Knicks to help open the 2021 NBA season. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Celtics-Knicks prediction and pick based on Celtics Knicks odds.

This game will be an interesting measuring stick for both of these teams. The Celtics again have championship aspirations, so starting off the season against another playoff-caliber team will make for an interesting matchup. The additions of Al Horford, Josh Richardson and Dennis Schroder as well as rookie head coach Ime Udoka have Boston expecting a finish in the top four in the East at the very least. The Knicks don't have such lofty expectations, but a playoff berth should be in their future. The addition of former Celtic Kemba Walker should be a huge help to this roster right away, and Walker will get to prove his worth against his former team right away.

Here's how the bookmakers have set the lines for this matchup.

NBA Odds: Celtics-Knicks Odds

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Boston Celtics +1 1/2 (-110)

New York Knicks -1 1/2 (-110)

Over 218 points (-110)

Under 218 points (-110)

Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread

It is undeniably clear that the Celtics are the more talented team in this matchup. The superstar combination of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown is often enough to take over games, and the rest of the roster is more than capable of playing good basketball. Dennis Schroder gives Boston an elite third option, and a big offensive advantage when the starting lineups are on the floor. Kemba Walker is a notoriously poor defensive guard, and Schroder is a fantastic scoring option. Walker is already incapable of switching onto wings, so putting having him on the floor at the same time as Schroder, Tatum, and Brown should result in plenty of offensive success for the Celtics. Factor this into a Celtics Knicks prediction.

New York is not a particularly intimidating offensive team. Julius Randle showed that he isn't a go-to offensive option in the playoffs, and even the addition of Kemba Walker won't turn this team into a potent scoring team. Boston's defenders are also highly versatile. The 1-4 positions are capable of switching onto almost everyone, making things even worse for New York's offense. The Celtics should fare well on the defensive side of the ball here.

Why The Knicks Could Cover The Spread

New York doesn't have an elite scorer on their roster, Julius Randle should have a great game in this contest. He will have Jayson Tatum defending him for a majority of the game. That's a great matchup for the way that Randle plays, and he should dominate on the offensive side of things. Center Mitchell Robinson also has a nice matchup in the pick and roll tonight, as Boston center Robert Williams will be defending him. Williams has shown himself to be more of an energy and hustle type of defender, which makes sense because of how undersized he is. Robinson should dominate the offensive glass and the pick and roll in this matchup. This is why the NBA odds are where they are.

The Knicks showed why home court advantage is such a big leg up in last year's postseason, and they should do the same against the Celtics in this game. It's a season opener against a rival Eastern Conference team, so every single seat in Madison Square Garden should be filled. The Garden is easily one of the toughest places to play in the NBA, and the Knicks will take full advantage of that fact. Include this in a Celtics Knicks pick.

Final Celtics-Knicks Prediction & Pick

Getting the Celtics as underdogs here is a little bit strange, but it's a perfect spot to capitalize. Lock in the Celtics with confidence on the road.

FINAL PICK: Boston Celtics +1 1/2 (-110)