The Boston Celtics (36-16) will try to extend their advantage for second place in the Eastern Conference when they face the New York Knicks (34-17) on Saturday night. Boston currently leads New York by 1.5 games atop the Atlantic Division, and the Celtics are six games back of Cleveland for first place in the conference. The Celtics had their four-game winning streak snapped in a 127-120 upset loss to Dallas on Thursday. New York is coming off consecutive wins over Houston and Toronto, as it tries to avenge a 132-109 loss to Boston from October. OG Anunoby (foot) is doubtful for New York, while Jrue Holiday (shoulder) is out for Boston.
Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. The Celtics are favored by 3 points in the latest Knicks vs. Celtics odds, while the over/under is 232 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Celtics vs. Knicks picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters Week 16 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 144-102 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $4,000. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on New York vs. Boston. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:
- Knicks vs. Celtics spread: Celtics -3
- Knicks vs. Celtics over/under: 232 points
- Knicks vs. Celtics money line: Celtics -149, Knicks +125
- Knicks vs. Celtics picks: See picks here
- Knicks vs. Celtics streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Knicks can cover
New York can pull within a half-game of second place in the Eastern Conference with a win on Saturday, so there will be an elite atmosphere at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks have been sidelined since Tuesday, when they held off a furious rally in a 121-115 win over Toronto. Star guard Jalen Brunson scored five of his 28 points in the final 52 seconds of that game, escaping with a win after the Raptors cut a 23-point lead to one in the fourth quarter.
Brunson scored 11 of New York’s final 13 points in a comeback win over Houston the night before, edging the Rockets in a 124-118 final. Boston was red-hot to open the season, but it is just 20-13 in its last 33 games. The Celtics trailed by as many as 27 points in their loss to the Mavericks on Thursday, ultimately getting upset as 12.5-point favorites. See which team to pick here.
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston has not lost consecutive games since Christmas Day, bouncing back from its last seven losses with wins. The Celtics won three straight road games prior to their loss to Dallas, including a 112-105 win at Cleveland as 1.5-point underdogs on Tuesday. Forward Jayson Tatum had 22 points, seven assists and four rebounds, while shooting guard Derrick White chipped in 20 points on 6 of 12 shooting from 3-point range.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 25 points on 9 of 16 shooting from the floor in the loss to Dallas on Thursday. Boston opened the season with a 132-109 win against New York in October, easily covering the spread as a 5.5-point favorite. The Celtics have won 11 of their last 16 road games against the Knicks. See which team to pick here.
How to make Knicks vs. Celtics picks
The model has simulated Celtics vs. Knicks 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Knicks vs. Celtics on Saturday, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Celtics vs. Knicks spread to back, all from the model that has returned well over $10,000 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
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