The red-hot Boston Celtics arrive in New York for a game on national TV with a Knicks team that is in a state of flux after rocking the basketball world late yesterday by trading away Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee and adding Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews and a first-round draft pick. Amid this, bookmakers have opened the Celts as 13-point favorites with the total at 217.
- New York is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in four of the Celtics’ last six games overall and in New York.
- The UNDER has hit in 9 of New York’s last 11 games.
How Should Bettors Approach This Game?
This is an interesting question because New York’s leading scorer has been removed from the lineup and it is unknown how and if the new pieces will fit into the rotation 24 hours later.
The focus of the Knicks organization is clearly on the offseason and getting the highest draft pick possible. There’s no reason to believe that the addition of Dennis Smith Jr., be it tonight or in the coming days, will make a major difference in the output of this team.
What’s most likely, though, is that this game will be secondary on the minds of coaches and players on the home side as an encounter with a traditional rival looms.
My suggestion? Focus on the known entity, the Celtics, when making your plays on this game.
Picture Me Rollin’
Boston is on a fantastic roll as it appears that one of the Eastern Conference’s preseason favorites is finally hitting its stride. Boston scored 114.3 points per game in January while allowing opponents just 105.6 points for a +8.7 point differential while compiling an 11-4 SU and 8-7 ATS record.
Kyrie Irving was two points better than his season average in January, scoring 25.7 points per game. Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Al Horford and Gordon Hayward all averaged double-digit points in January to support their leader, Irving.
My Best Play for Tonight
I’ve locked in OVER 115 as the team total for the Celtics. I don’t trust the Knicks to hold up their end of the bargain in any area of this game this evening, but the 13 points that Boston is laying is just too many for me.
The Celtics are averaging more than 115 points per game in their last five games and a matchup with the league’s No. 26 scoring defense gives them a better than average chance to reach the team total. Mix in that New York will be getting used to a new rotation on the floor, and I think this is the best play for tonight.
