The New York Knicks (23-28) will have their hands full against the league’s top shooting defense when they go head-to-head against the Boston Celtics (36-15) at TD Garden. The game starts at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 31, 2018, and will air on ESPN.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 208 points with Boston opening as a 9-point favorite.
New York Knicks at Boston Celtics Free Prediction
The Knicks will be looking for similar success after beating the Brooklyn Nets in their last game, 111-95. The Knicks forced 17 turnovers, while the Nets had a free throw rate of 0.163 (below their season average of 0.209). Enes Kanter played a pivotal role for New York with 20 points, 20 rebounds and five assists.
In the Celtics’ last matchup, they won a close one over the Denver Nuggets, 111-110. Boston’s effective field goal percentage was their largest strength over Denver. The Celtics had a rate of 0.566 (above their season average of 0.516), while the Nuggets posted a mark of 0.505. Kyrie Irving was the game’s leading scorer with 27 points on 11-for-17 shooting.
Boston should have the advantage on the defensive side of the ball. The Celtics currently rank first in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.485), while New York is 14th in effective field goal percentage (0.519).
New York holds records of 23-28 straight up (SU) and 26-24 against the spread (ATS). Of the Knicks’ 50 games that accepted bets, 22 have finished under, 27 have finished over and one has pushed.
Meanwhile, Boston is 36-15 SU and 30-19-2 ATS. Unlike New York, just over half of Celtics games have finished under the total.
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. Kanter (16.0 points and 9.8 rebounds) has been fantastic for the Knicks while Irving (31.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists) has made solid contributions to the Celtics.
The two teams have split their two matchups this season. The Knicks won the most recent matchup 102-93, covering as 2.5-point underdogs. The game finished with a total of 195 points, which was 9 points below the projected point total of 204 points. The Knicks knocked down 22 of their 26 free throws (84.6 percent) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (29.7 vs. 19.1). Michael Beasley recorded a double-double with 32 points and 12 rebounds.
New York Knicks at Boston Celtics Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Celtics, ATS Winner – Knicks, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
New York is 11-15 ATS on the road with 15 overs, 10 unders and 1 push.
At home, Boston is 13-11-2 ATS with 13 overs and 13 unders.
Boston is 24-2 when they allow below 100 points, while New York is 11-1.
The Celtics are 26-7 when they reach the century mark, while the Knicks are 22-16.
Boston ranks fourth in three pointers attempted per game (31.8) while New York ranks 29th (21.8).
The Knicks rank ninth in points in the paint per game (46.7) while the Celtics rank 28th (39.1).
Boston ranks fourth in steals allowed per game (7.0) while New York ranks 21st (8.2).
The Knicks rank fifth in second chance points per game (13.7) while the Celtics rank 22nd (11.4).
New York ranks fourth in blocks per game (5.4) while Boston ranks 18th (4.7).
The Celtics rank third in assists allowed per game (20.2) while the Knicks rank 16th (23.0).
New York ranks 12th in rebounds per game (44.1) while Boston ranks 23rd in rebounds allowed per game (44.2).
The Celtics rank fifth in fast break points allowed per game (9.7) while the Knicks rank 13th (11.2).
New York ranks 21st in points off turnovers per game (15.6) while Boston ranks 28th (14.3).
Betting Trends:
In their last five games, New York is 3-2 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
Boston is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Knicks’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 1.0, up from 0.8 for the season.
During their last five games, the Celtics have scored an average of 106.2 points per game (3.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 106.4 points per game (7.6 above their season average).
