The Knicks are hosting the Celtics on Thursday. On DraftKings Sportsbook, New York is favored by 4.5 points and this game carries a total of 216.5 points.
Let’s dive into my preview and pick for this matchup.
Knicks vs. Celtics preview
This is the fourth and final matchup of the season between these two rivals. The Knicks lead this season series 2-1, but Jayson Tatum notably didn’t play in any of these matchups for the Celtics. These two teams are right next to each other in the standings, with Boston the No.2 seed and New York the No.3 seed in the Eastern Conference. With only three games remaining in the regular season for both clubs, the Celtics hold a three game lead over the Knicks for the No.2 seed. Boston needs to win once or New York needs to lose once for the Celtics to clinch that spot, so Boston finishing as the No.2 seed is extremely likely.
The Celtics are likely to rest players in their final three games, starting tonight. Jaylen Brown (Achilles), Derrick White (knee), Neemias Queta (toe) and Sam Hauser (back) were all initially listed as questionable, but we now know Brown will not play. Tatum, on the other hand, isn’t on the injury report and tonight will be his first time back in Madison Square Garden since he torn his Achilles in this building last May. Tatum is going to have to face some nerves and emotions tonight, and he is likely to be doing it with a bigger role than usual, as some of, if not all of, those questionable players may be inactive. Who knows. Maybe this was by design by Joe Mazzulla to get Tatum ready for the playoffs.
Nonetheless, Tatum should see a huge usage rate tonight, along with Payton Pritchard. Tatum has been excellent since returning last month and he seems to get more comfortable in every game. Tatum is averaging 21.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. The forward leads Boston in plus/minus and the club is 13-2 with him active.
Possibly being without four starters tonight obviously isn’t ideal, but this well coached and deep Celtics group is used to playing without key players. No matter who is on the floor, beating them likely won’t be easy for the Knicks, even though Boston has less at stake at this point of the season.
This is a much more important game for New York. While stealing the No.2 seed for the Celtics is unlikely, the Knicks are only a half game ahead of the Cavaliers for the No.3 seed. New York is basically at full strength, too, as Tyler Kolek (questionable, oblique) is the only player on the injury report.
The Knicks are coming off a 108-105 road win over the Hawks on Tuesday. Atlanta is 19-5 and ranks fourth in net rating since the All-Star break, so this was a great victory for New York. The Knicks have won three straight, but they had lost three in a row before this. Since the All-Star break, New York is 16-8 and ranks seventh in net rating.
The Knicks’ defense has been vulnerable at times recently, but them holding the Hawks to just 105 points on Tuesday was impressive and hopefully New York can carry this defensive momentum over into tonight’s matchup with Boston.
Knicks vs. Celtics pick, best bet
With the Celtics clearly looking to rest some players tonight and this being a more critical game for the Knicks, they should win this game on their home floor. New York has been excellent in Madison Square Garden this season with a 28-9 record.
The top wager for this game is under 216.5 points. In terms of pace, New York and Boston are two of the three slowest teams in the league since the All-Star break. The Celtics are a league-best 51-28 for the under this season and Knicks’ games have gone under in five of their last six.
