Knicks vs. Celtics Pick
Are the New York Knicks and host Boston Celtics going to play a lower-scoring game than projected tonight at 8PM ET?
Who Oddsmakers Like: Boston. According to oddsmakers at YouWager, the Celtics are a 5-point favorite on the spread line. The total is set at 203.5 points. Boston opened as an 8.5-point fave, while the over-under has dropped from 207.5.
Who the Public Likes: Boston. As of Wednesday afternoon, 58 percent of public bets have been on the Celtics.
Injury Report: Knicks guard Ron Baker left the last game with a shoulder injury and will not play tonight. Joakim Noah is out indefinitely as he deals with a personal matter. For the Celtics, Kyrie Irving is out tonight with a quad contusion. Guerschon Yabusele is questionable with a sprained ankle. Shane Larkin missed the last game with an ankle injury and is questionable tonight. Gordon Hayward is likely out for the season with a dislocated ankle and fractured tibia. Marcus Smart is out until mid-February with a hand laceration.
Who the Trends Like: The under is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Boston and 6-2 in the last eight meetings overall. Boston is 1-6-1 ATS in its last eight home games versus a a team with a losing road record.
Who We Like: The Celtics’ offense hurts a great deal without Irving dictating the action, but don’t expect the elite defense to suffer. While New York has been piling up the points lately, most of those games have been against fast-paced opponents. Boston is a slow-tempo team that might even play slower than normal with Irving out. The total has shot down for good reason, but I still like the under here.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: KNICKS/CELTICS UNDER 203.5