Celtics vs. Knicks Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread
Two playoff-bound teams in the Eastern Conference will go head-to-head on Sunday afternoon when the Celtics head to Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks. Boston has locked up the seventh seed in the conference, while New York is battling Miami and Atlanta for the No. 4 seed.
New York is a heavy 11-point favourite to win on the NBA odds.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
These teams have split the season series, each picking up a win in Boston. Both previous games had fairly low totals set and still ended Under the number.
Boston is on cruise control right now and they have dropped four of their last five games heading into Sunday. They’re 33-38 against the spread this year, but they’ve only managed to cover in three of their last 12 games. The Celtics have hit the Over in eight of their last 11.
The Knicks turned a big corner this year. They’ve won 15 of their last 19 games overall and have won 10 of their last 11 at home. They’ve been a great cover option, going 45-25-1 ATS, including covering in nine straight games against fellow Eastern Conference teams. The total has gone Under in four of New York’s last six games.
Boston Celtics
There’s not much on the line for Boston in this one, so it’s tough to see them overplaying any of their starters. The Celtics will play Charlotte in the first play-in game and a win against the Hornets would mean an automatic berth in the playoffs. Boston is likely completely focused on that game, though if they lose to the Hornets they still have a chance at the playoffs by beating the winner of the Indiana-Washington play-in game.
Even worse news for Celtics fans for this game is the fact it will be played without Jaylen Brown, who will miss the rest of the regular season with a torn ligament in his left wrist. They’ve gone 2-4 since Brown went down and the offence looks lost. Jayson Tatum will need to carry this team if they want to make a deep postseason run. Tatum is already averaging team-high’s in points (26.3) and assists (4.3) per game, but he’ll need to be even better in the absence of Brown.
New York Knicks
This is a big game for New York because a win would allow them to lock up home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs. The Knicks were a much better team at home this season and actually had a losing record on the road, so home court in the first round would be a big boost. Julius Randle is the biggest reason New York will reach the playoffs for the first time since 2013. He’s a favourite for the Most Improved Player award and he’s consistently heard chants of “M-V-P” at MSG. Randle came up huge in New York’s 118-109 OT win over Charlotte on Saturday. He had a triple-double, finishing with 33 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists. Randle is the Knicks’ leader in most major statistical categories this season, including points (24.2), rebounds (10.2) and assists (6.0) per game.
BOS
NY