The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics have met in three straight OVER results as those Atlantic Division clubs hit the hardwood on Thursday night in NBA betting action at TD Bank Garden.
The Celtics topped the Knicks 102-96 as a 7.5-point road underdog in an OVER result in the first meeting of the season between the two teams on January 7. Overall the Knicks are just 2-3 both SU and ATS over their past five games against the Celtics.
The Knicks will try to spoil to the party on Thursday; they are 21-18 ATS against the number this season, while the Celtics are 15-23-3 ATS. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). New York is 20-17-2 on the totals; Boston is 19-21-1.
View New York vs Boston Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
The visitors opened this morning as 1-point favorites in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark (including Sportsbook), while the total was hovering around 192 at Sportsbook and other shops.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Celtics sit at No. 23 in the current NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark, while the Knicks are at No. 15 on that chart. Math models have concluded that the Knicks will win this game 102-96.
How They Match Up:
In rebounding, the battle of the boards features Boston's No. 30-rated squad against New York's No. 26-rated roster. When it comes to long-range shooting, Boston rates No. 27 in the league with 5.5 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 1 with 11.1 per outing.
Defensively, the Knicks feature the league's No. 10-rated defense on the road, giving up 97.3 points per game. Boston, meanwhile, comes in at No. 18 in the league in scoring at home.
Last time out for New York, they were an 88-85 loser as they battled the Nets at home. The Knicks failed to cover in the match as a 3-point favorite, while 173 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. Carmelo Anthony went off for 29 points and added 3 rebounds but it wasn't enough as Brooklyn defeated New York, 88-85 at Madison Square Garden.
Boston lost its last outing, a 95-90 result against the Cavaliers on January 22. The Celtics failed to cover in that game as a 5-point favorite, while the 185 combined points took the game UNDER the total. The Celtics endured a 95-90 loss at the hands of the Cavaliers on Tuesday, despite a 17-point effort from Rajon Rondo at Quicken Loans Arena.
New York Knicks Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 4-6
Before playing Philadelphia are 6-4
After playing Brooklyn are 8-2
After a loss are 7-3
Boston Celtics Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
Before playing Atlanta are 7-3
After playing Cleveland are 9-1
After a loss are 3-7
A few Knicks at Celtics trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 5 games when playing Boston
New York is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
New York is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Boston
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 7 games at home
Boston is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing New York
Next up:
New York at Philadelphia, Saturday, January 26
Boston at Atlanta, Friday, January 25
