Celtics vs. Knicks: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Celtics vs. Knicks Odds
| Celtics Odds | -2.5 |
| Knicks Odds | +2.5 |
| Over/Under | 217 |
| Date | Mon, Feb. 27 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. |
| TV | YES |
On Monday evening, the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks will meet at Madison Square Garden. Ahead of tip-off, Boston (44-17) owns the best record in the Eastern Conference, with New York (35-27) trailing by 9.5 games in the standings in the sixth-spot. Nevertheless, oddsmakers are anticipating a competitive contest to begin the new week, pricing the Celtics as slim 2.5-point favorites on the spread.
Boston Celtics
Jaylen Brown OUT
Jaylen Brown will miss tonight’s contest against the Knicks due to personal reasons. Brown, averaging 26.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, is the team’s second-leading scorer and only one of two players on the roster who is averaging more than 14.7 points per game.
Per Cleaning the Glass, Boston ranks in the 71st percentile in offensive efficiency and the 73rd percentile in defensive efficiency with Brown on the court this year, compared to the 95th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 83rd percentile in defensive efficiency when he is on the sidelines.
Who will step up for Boston?
According to CourtIQ, Derrick White sees the largest increase in usage of any player on the Celtics’ roster when Brown is off of the floor this year. In these situations, White is averaging 19.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per 36 minutes of action. In White’s last seven games played with Brown in street clothes, he has only one game with fewer than 19 points and has not recorded less than six assists in any of those contests.
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New York Knicks
Rain finally arriving in the Garden
Following a dreadful beginning to the year in their home building, the Knicks have now won five of their last six contests in the Big Apple to move to 17-15 at home for the season. In those six games, New York’s only defeat came in overtime against the Los Angeles Clippers – an opponent with legitimate title aspirations.
During their recent hot streak, they have wins against the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets, and New Orleans Pelicans, with three of those victories coming by double-digits.
Offense stealing the show
Contrary to what bettors would expect from a Tom Thibodeau-led team, the offense has been the primary reason for New York’s recent success at home – scoring 122.2 points per 100 possessions, which ranks eighth-best in the league in that stretch. The defense remains a work in progress, ranking worse than league average during the month of February.
Celtics vs. Knicks – Picks & Predictions
Boston is 35-15 with Jaylen Brown in the lineup this season and 9-2 when he is not in uniform. Simply, the Celtics are more than capable of winning this game, even without one of their most valuable contributors available. From a betting perspective, the larger point to examine is the slower style of play that Boston employs without Brown, averaging less than 97 possessions per game in his absence.
On the road this season, only the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat are allowing fewer points per 100 possessions than the Celtics. In a battle between two talented teams, expect a slower-pace and increased effort on the defensive end of the floor to give the under a good chance to cash.
PICK: Under 224 (-110, Caesars)