Knicks vs. Celtics: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Knicks vs. Celtics Odds
| Knicks Odds | +5.5 |
| Celtics Odds | -5.5 |
| Over/Under | 226 |
| Date | Sun, Mar. 5 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. |
| TV | ESPN |
On Sunday, the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics will meet at the TD Garden on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. EST. Entering play, New York (38-27) has won eight consecutive games to climb to the 5-seed in the Eastern Conference. Boston (45-19) is 0.5 game behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the 1-seed in the standings. In this matchup, oddsmakers are anticipating a Celtics win, pricing Boston as 6-point home favorites on the spread.
New York Knicks
Brunson listed as questionable
Ahead of tip-off on Sunday, Jalen Brunson’s status is uncertain due to a sore left foot. Per Fred Katz, Brunson also left the Knicks game against the Heat earlier this week with a rolled right ankle, before getting it taped and returning to action. Thus, he is potentially dealing with ailments on both sides of the lower-half of his body.
Per Cleaning the Glass, New York ranks in the 93rd percentile in offensive efficiency and the 27th percentile in defensive efficiency this season when Brunson is on the floor, compared to the 33rd percentile in offensive efficiency and the 93rd percentile in defensive efficiency when he is on the sidelines.
Who will step up for the Knicks if Brunson doesn’t play?
Per CourtIQ, Immanuel Quickley (+4.4%) sees the largest increase in usage when Brunson is off of the floor, followed by Josh Hart (+4.0%), R.J. Barrett (+3.6%), and Julius Randle (+3.5%).
Randle has been particularly impressive this year when Brunson is on the sidelines, averaging 32.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per 36 minutes of action. Barrett’s scoring increases as well, averaging 21.7 points per 36 minutes of action in these situations.
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Boston Celtics
Williams OUT
Robert Williams will miss this evening’s contest due to a left hamstring strain. In 28 games played this year, Williams III is averaging 8.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Celtics rank in the 84th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 92nd percentile in defensive efficiency this season with Williams III on the floor, compared to the 81st percentile in offensive efficiency and the 69th percentile in defensive efficiency when he is on the sidelines.
Who will step up for Boston?
Jaylen Brown sees a notable uptick in rebounding when Williams III is not on the floor this season, averaging 7.1 rebounds per 36 minutes of action. Mike Muscala is also a candidate to see an expanded role. On February 14, Muscala had 18 points and eight rebounds in 44 minutes on a night in which Boston was missing the majority of their stars. He could see 15 to 20 minutes of action this evening.
Knicks vs. Celtics – Picks & Predictions
Entering play, Boston is 25-8 on their home floor, with one of those losses being a surprising upset against Brooklyn in their most recent contest. As a result, the Celtics are likely to be hyper-focused right out of the gate on Sunday, ready to take advantage of a Knicks team that could potentially be without one of their most important players. Assuming Brunson does not play, Boston is the smart side in this spot.
PICK: Celtics -5.5 (-115, BetMGM)
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