The Boston Celtics (35-14 SU, 25-23-1 ATS) welcome the New York Knicks (26-23, 25-22-2) to TD Garden on Thursday as the hosts look to get back into the win column.
The Celtics opened as the 6.5-point favorite at home with the total set at 226 points. Boston has had the historical edge in this matchup, winning 12 of its last 17 contests vs New York, while the OVER is 4-1 in the last five meetings between the two teams. While the Celtics enter Wednesday on a two-game skid, they have won seven straight at home, which only strengthens their edge.
Latest Betting Notes: Knicks
The Knicks snapped a four-game slump on Tuesday as they eked out a 105-103 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Julius Randle had a huge night with 36 points and 13 boards for a double-double and four others finished in double digits for the Knicks.
New York had been rolling prior to its four-game losing streak, winning seven of the previous eight contests. Defense was an issue during the slide as the Knicks surrendered 125.8 points per game through those four defeats.
On the offensive side, the Knicks’ top trio has stepped it up in the new year with Jalen Brunson (28.3 points per game), Randle (26.3 PPG) and RJ Barrett (22.4 PPG) combining for more than two-thirds of the team’s scoring this month.
Latest Betting Notes: Celtics
The Celtics were handed their second straight loss on Tuesday as they fell 98-95 to the Miami Heat. Jayson Tatum had a game-high 31 points and Derrick White scored 23 in a losing effort. Meanwhile, Bam Adebayo had a monster game to lift Miami to victory with 30 points and 15 rebounds.
Boston was significantly undermanned in Tuesday’s defeat as Jaylen Brown (thigh) and Marcus Smart (ankle) both sat out. While Smart is expected to remain sidelined for one to two more weeks, Brown is off the injury report and will be back for Thursday’s matchup. Brown had been hot prior to his injury, especially from long range: his mark of 35.9 percent from three-point territory in January is his best monthly average so far this season.
Celtics Player Prop: Tatum OVER 33 Points (+119)
This is going to sound like a recording but Tatum has been hot for the Celtics, averaging 31.1 points per game in January and 35 points per contest over his last five outings. The small forward has scored at least 30 points in seven of his last nine games, so no matter what, he should be within reach of hitting the OVER in this matchup.
If there’s one thing going against Tatum, it’s that New York owns one of the better defenses in the NBA at 112.1 points against per game. But if Boston is going to win, he’ll likely need to have a pretty good showing.
Knicks Player Prop: Randle OVER 28 Points (+108)
After a sluggish start to the season, Randle has really picked up the pace, averaging 28.3 points per game in December and 26.3 points in January. The power forward has recorded at least 25 points in 13 of his last 18 appearances, so he’s got a fair shot at hitting the OVER on Thursday.
The key for Randle has been volume: he’s up to 20.3 field-goal attempts per game in January, which marks his highest monthly average after starting the season with just 14.8 attempts per contest in October.
