The Boston Celtics (36-16) and New York Knicks (34-17) will meet in the NBA this evening. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The game will broadcast live on ABC.
The Celtics are 3-point favorites over the Knicks on the spread (Celtics -3), with the over/under set at 232 total points. Boston is a -150 favorite to win outright, while New York is +125 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Celtics vs. Knicks predictions and NBA picks for Saturday, February 8.
Celtics vs. Knicks Picks, Prediction
Spread
Boston has moved from a -1.5-point favorite to as high as -3 at most sportsbooks. The Celtics are a perfect 2-0 against the spread this season when bet up as a short favorite of five or fewer points.
Moneyline
Boston will likely be in a foul mood coming off its 127-120 loss at home to Dallas. Considering that the Celtics have done a tremendous job this season avoiding back-to-back losses, there's a decent chance they will put forth a strong effort when they visit Madison Square Garden tonight.
Over/Under
After being bet up from 229.5 to 232, the total is probably right where it should be. Howver, given my model projection of 231.6 points, this total is an easy pass for me at the current number.
My Pick: Celtics Moneyline (-150)
Celtics vs. Knicks Odds
| Celtics Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -110 | 232 -110 / -110 | -150 |
| Knicks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -110 | 232 -110 / -110 | +125 |
- Celtics vs. Knicks spread: Celtics -3
- Celtics vs. Knicks over/under: 232 total points
- Celtics vs. Knicks moneyline: Knicks +125, Celtics -150
- Celtics vs. Knicks best bet: Celtics ML
My Knicks vs. Celtics best bet is on Boston to win outright on the moneyline, with the best line currently available at DraftKings. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
Celtics vs. Knicks Preview
Had the Celtics not lost to the Mavericks at home on Thursday night, we might have a stronger case to make for the Knicks in this spot. While my power ratings have the Celtics roughly 2.5 points better than the Knicks, you could argue that perhaps the line should reflect closer to a pick 'em game or even New York as a slight favorite once you factor in the home-court advantage.
However, there's no better opportunity to gain your players' attention as a head coach than when you're coming off a loss—a feat Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has triumphantly achieved throughout the campaign.
No other team this season has a better record than the Celtics (14-1) following a defeat.
Interestingly, the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers have only 10 defeats—six fewer than the Celtics, and yet three of their losses came in a back-to-back spot.
It's unlikely this season would ever be particularly easy for the Celtics in their quest to repeat as champions. Last year, they set a tremendously high bar as the only team with a double-digit Net Rating (+11.7). But now we've seen the Thunder and Cavaliers as the only two teams with a Net Rating of +10 or higher.
Offensively, the Celtics haven't been quite as potent, with their efficiency dropping slightly from 122.2 to 118.6. That dip is likely due to their production from beyond the arc. While the Celtics are making more 3-pointers (17.7 vs. 16.5), their perimeter shooting percentage is down from 38.8% to 36.7% because they're taking more attempts.
Thus, with the Celtics increasingly relying on the 3-point shot, they're likely to have more empty possessions on the offensive end of the court.
However, while the Knicks have done a decent job limiting the opposition's 3-point attempts (fourth-best with 35.8), they're dead last in opponent 3-point percentage (37.8%). The vast discrepancy between those metrics is a red flag for me because teams with good perimeter defenses should generally be consistent across the board.
Interestingly, in their only meeting this season, the Celtics attempted 61 3-pointers, sinking 29 (50.5%). Given their unrelenting commitment to the 3-point shot, they'll likely fancy their chances to shoot for a high percentage against this Knicks perimeter defense.
Celtics vs. Knicks Prediction
In keeping with our theme of the 3-point shot, Boston's Derrick White is one player who could find some success. His 3-point shot is available at 2.5 (-145), which he has exceeded in five of his previous six away games.
Moreover, White has exceeded this projection in three of his last four games against the Knicks. The Celtics point guard even made six 3-pointers in two of those meetings.
White can sometimes fly under the radar, with opposing teams fixated on slowing down Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Colorado product is actually the second-best 3-point shooter (38%) in the Celtics starting lineup behind center Kristaps Porzingis (40.5%).
Combining the over with White's 3-point prop with a Celtics moneyline win would help boost our same game parlay odds up to +144.
Best Bet: Celtics ML (-150)
Same Game Parlay Picks
- Celtics Moneyline
- Derrick White Over 2.5 Three-Pointers Made
Parlay Payout: +144
Knicks vs Celtics Betting Trends
