Boston Celtics at New York Knicks Predictions and Odds Jan 6
Boston Celtics at New York Knicks Betting Preview
WagerTalk NBA handicapper Andy Lang offers his Boston Celtics at New York Knicks betting preview for Thursday, January 6. At the time of posting, the Celtics have opened as an 1.5-point road favorite over the Knicks, with the total sitting at 209 points.
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| Thursday, January 6 | NBA Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Boston Celtics -1.5 vs New York Knicks |
| Total: | 209 Points |
| Game Time: | 7:35pm ET / 4:35pm PT |
| Arena: | Madison Square Garden |
| TV: | TNT |
Boston Celtics at New York Knicks Analysis
The first game of the Thursday night doubleheader on TNT features the Boston Celtics traveling to Madison Square Garden to battle the New York Knicks. Both teams have identical records at 18-20 and are competing for a play-in round spot in the Eastern Conference. This will be the first of two consecutive head-to-head meetings, as these teams square off again on Saturday night in Boston. They split the first two matchups with each time winning at home. The Knicks won 138-134 in double overtime on opening night and the Celtics won 114-107 back on December 18th.
Tatum and Brown Continue to Lead Boston
The Boston Celtics will be playing the second game of a back-to-back after a hard fought 99-97 home loss against the San Antonio Spurs. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 30 points after scoring a career high 50 in a victory over Orlando in the Celtics’ last game but had a game tying layup roll off the rim just before the buzzer sounded. Jayson Tatum returned to action after missing four games in the league’s health and safety protocols and scored 19 points on 6 of 20 shooting. Tatum managed to play 38 minutes, saying that he did feel rusty but felt better than he did after his first bout with Covid. The Celts are 5-2 in the second game of back-to-backs situations this season, but are only 7-12 on the road. On the season Boston is literally middle of the pack in both scoring offense and defense.
Defense is King of New York
The New York Knicks won for the fourth time in six games as they knocked off the Indiana Pacers 104-94 at home on Tuesday night. RJ Barrett led the way as he scored 24 of his 32 points in the first half. Julius Randle had a monster outing, with 30 points and 16 rebounds in his first game back from Covid protocols. Kemba Walker will be out with a knee injury and Nerlens Noel is questionable due to conditioning. The Knicks have played great defense, they only allow 105 points a game which ranks them 6th in the league. Offensively it’s the complete opposite, as they rank 27th in scoring offense with only 104.7 points per game.
Boston Celtics at New York Knicks Prediction
This game is pick’em with a total of 209. This game just feels impossible to pick as far as a side. The Knicks will be without two key members of their backcourt in Rose and Walker. The Celtics are on a back-to-back which could put a minutes restriction on Tatum. Both teams are defensive minded and can go through spells where they struggle to score. The Knicks have held five of their last six opponents under 100 points and five of six have went under 209. Three of the last five Celtics games have went under, while landing on 211 in one and the other needed overtime to go over with only 200 combined points in regulation. The first two head-to-head games went over, but this feels like defensive grind it out type game. We will go with under here for our official play.
OFFICIAL PLAY: Under 209 Points
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Boston Celtics at New York Knicks Preview from GoldSheet
Most indicators point to New York in this game, as Boston has dropped 5 straight games on the road and is unrested, having lost 99-97 last night at the TD Garden against San Antonio despite Jaylen Brown’s 30 points. The home team has also won 4 straight in this series, including the first two meetings this year when New York won a wild run-and-gun affair 138-134 on Oct. 20, while Boston took a 114-107 decision two months later on Dec. 18. Both of those were “over” the totals, although note New York, which is 4-2 SU and against the points last 6 has been “under” 5-1 last 6 outings. Play the Under.
NBA Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his NBA Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Thursday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Boston Celtics at New York Knicks contest.
NBA Tip-Off Show
Join Joe Raineri and a rotating panel of guests for the NBA Tip-Off Show at 4:15pm ET / 1:15pm PT as we discuss tonight’s marquee games. Stay up-to-date on the latest NBA news, stats, analysis, and predictions with our panel of professional handicappers as they preview tonight’s NBA action, including this Boston Celtics at New York Knicks clash, from a betting perspective.
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the NBA point spreads, moneylines, first half lines and betting percentages for all of Thursday’s NBA games, including this Boston Celtics at New York Knicks showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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