The New York Knicks hit the road to take on the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Knicks-Celtics prediction and pick.
This will be the second meeting between these two clubs in 2021. The Knicks won the first matchup of the series 105-75 back in January. Boston swept the New York Knicks in the season series just last season. With both teams battling for a playoff spot, we can expect a ton of energy and intensity in this Eastern Conference affair. The Celtics and the Knicks will both be looking to bounce back after each dropped their last game to the top two teams in the east.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Knicks-Celtics odds.
NBA Odds: Knicks-Celtics Odds
New York Knicks +4 (-105)
Boston Celtics -4 (-115)
Over 212.5 Points (-110)
Under 212.5 Points (-110)
Why The Knicks Could Cover The Spread
New York is coming off of a tough loss in the battle for New York against the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets were able to come away with a win despite losing James Harden just four minutes into the game. Brooklyn was able to complete the series sweep of the Knicks in the win on Monday night. With that being said, the Knicks fought all the way to the end, as the game was decided by just one bucket. New York's defensive prowess was put on full display yet again.
Julius Randle continued his dominance, delivering another great performance against the Brooklyn Nets. He registered 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists in the two-point loss. Randle missed a shot at the buzzer that would've sent the game to overtime. His supporting cast had a solid outing as well. RJ Barrett continued his solid sophomore season with 22 points on 4-6 shooting from three. Reggie Bullock and Derrick Rose also put up double figures in the loss. The Knicks have struggled to create offense at times this year, but have a nice matchup against a Boston team that has allowed the seventh-most three-pointers over their last three games.
Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread
The Boston Celtics are on the back end of a back-to-back as they were handed a 10-point loss by the visiting 76ers last night. Boston has fallen out of the Eastern Conference conversations that they were in the heart of coming into this season. The Celtics have struggled to consistently score the ball and keep it out of the bucket on the other end. This team possesses so much talent, but just simply hasn't lived up to the hype in 2021. Joel Embiid exposed the Celtics biggest weakness, causing Robert Williams to foul out after just 14 minutes of action.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have continued their solid play this season. Tatum and Brown dropped 20 and 17 points last night, respectively. They are doing all that they can to keep their team afloat in the Eastern Conference standings. Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker also contributed in double figures and both will have to be solid in this game against the league's best team defense. Evan Fournier has added a spark off of the bench since coming over from Orlando, but will be out for at least the next week. The Celtics will look to continue their recent success against New York, going 8-2 in the last 10 head-to-head matchup with their division rivals.
Final Knicks-Celtics Prediction & Pick
I think that this four-point spread is fairly accurate. This game will ultimately come down to who wants it more. Boston will be without Evan Fournier, Kemba Walker, and Tristan Thompson. New York will be without their young big man Mitchell Robinson. Neither team possesses much of an edge tonight. Boston will be without a ton of scoring and New York doesn't really score the ball much at full strength. In an Eastern Conference rivalry showdown, I see an emphasis being put on the defensive end. We've seen an average of 200 points per game in these teams last three head-to-head matchup's, which is well below the set total.
FINAL PICK: Under 212.5 (-110)
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