New York Knicks at Boston Celtics Prediction 1/8/22

New York Knicks (19-20 SU, 18-21 ATS) vs. Boston Celtics (18-21 SU, 18-19-2 ATS)

When: Saturday January 08 2022, 07:30 PM (ET)

Where: TD Garden: Boston, Massachusetts

TV: MSG Network

Point Spread: NYK +6.5/BOS -6.5 (Opened at BOS -6.5 at MyBookie – Use bonus code PREDICT100 and they’ll give you a 100% REAL CASH bonus up to $300!)

Total: 209.5 (Opened at 208.5)

Money Line: New York 200/Boston -250)

Power Rating: BOS -7

Probable Starting Lineups

Celtics: PG Marcus Smart, SG Jaylen Brown, SF Jayston Tatum, PF Robert Williams III, C Al Horford

Knicks: PG Immanuel Quickley, SG RJ Barrett, SF Evan Fournier, PF Julius Randle, C Nerlens Noel

Key Injuries

Knicks
Ryan Arcidiacono: ankle (QUESTIONABLE) Nerlens Noel: conditioning (QUESTIONABLE) Jericho Sims: conditioning (QUESTIONABLE) Kemba Walker: knee (QUESTIONABLE)

Celtics
Payton Pritchard: illness (OUT) Brodric Thomas: back (QUESTIONABLE)

Recent Form

The New York Knicks enter today’s game, having won 2 straight games. In their past ten contests, the Knicks have played above .500 basketball, going 6-4. As the road team, New York travels to Boston with a positive plus-minus rating of 0.8 points. Overall, the Knicks are ranked 20th among NBA teams in point differential (1.7). Among NBA teams, they have played the 4th easiest schedule.

For bettors, taking the New York Knicks to cover the spread has been up and down as they have covered 46.20% of their games. Their season-long plus-minus against the spread is -2.3.

On offense, the team’s leading scorer is PF Julius Randle. So far, Randle is averaging 19.65 points per game in addition to his 10.08 rebounds. New York’s most productive three-point shooter has been Evan Fournier, connecting on 2.66 shots from downtown per game.

The Boston Celtics enter today’s game, losing two straight games.
This is part of a larger trend of going 4-6 over their last ten contests. As they get set to host the Knicks, Boston has a positive home plus-minus of 1.5 points. Overall, the Celtics are ranked 12nd among NBA teams in point differential (0.9). On the season, New York has played the 7th toughest schedule.

So far, Boston has covered spread in 48.70% of their games with an ATS plus-minus of -0.7 points

On offense, the team’s leading scorer is SF Jayson Tatum. So far, Tatum is averaging 25.71 points per game, including knocking down 2.83 three-point shots per game.

The Celtics’ best three-point shooter has been Jayson Tatum, connecting on 2.83 shots from downtown per game. Tatum has also been in charge of cleaning up the glass, hauling in 8.54 boards per game.

An Eye On Pace

Heading into this matchup, the New York Knicks are the slowest-paced team in the NBA. So far, the Knicks are averaging just 95.5 possessions per game. Despite their limited possessions, New York still ranks 10th in three-point attempts per game. They are also an above-average unit at getting to the free-throw line, averaging 21.2 attempts per contest. On the other side, Boston is the 23rd ranked team in pace, averaging 96.9 possessions per game. So far, they are below the league average in both three-point and two-point field goal attempts.

Key Matchups

On the season, Boston is the 10th ranked team in defensive efficiency, giving up 108 points per 100 possessions. However, the strength of this unit is preventing teams from scoring on shots inside the arc. Given that New York takes the fewest 2 point field goal attempts per game look for the Knicks to have an above-average night scoring the ball as Boston struggles vs. teams looking to shoot from outside.

The Historicals

Tonight’s game between the Knicks and Celtics will be their third meeting of the season, with New York leading the series 2-1. These two teams met just two days ago, with the Knicks winning by a score of 108-105.

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How the Public is betting the Knicks vs. Celtics

60% are betting the Knicks against the spread.

55% are wagering on the game to go Under the posted total of 208

Betting Trends Worth Noting

• Knicks are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall.
• Knicks are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games following an ATS win.
• The Celtics are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games playing on one day’s rest.
• The Celtics are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

New York is coming into this game, having just beaten Boston in thrilling fashion. In the contest, both teams had no trouble scoring the ball. Each squad surpassed 100 points despite the game finishing with just 88 possessions. Look for New York to pick up another win over their Eastern Conference rival as they have consistently found their three-point stroke vs. the Celtics.

Prop Bets Worth Wagering

In this game, my favorite prop bet of the night is for Julius Randle to put up a double. After missing two games on the Health And Safety Protocols List, Randle has put 30 and 22 points. Look for the Knicks leading scorer to have a big game vs. Boston. Bet your Knicks vs. Celtics pick and ALL your picks this weekend for FREE by taking advantage of a massive 100% real cash bonus on your first deposit up to $1000 at Betnow!