The Boston Celtics (36-16) travel to face off against the New York Knicks (34-17) on Saturday, February 8th. This game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York and televised on ABC. The Knicks are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Celtics are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Celtics. Tip-off is set for 8:30 ET.

Celtics vs Knicks

The Celtics Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Celtics fell to 36-16 on the season after a 127-120 home loss to the Mavericks on Thursday. Boston, who were -12.5 point favorites, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points reached 247, surpassing the O/U line of 232.

Dallas went on an 11-0 run early, taking the score from 29-23 to 34-29. The Mavericks extended their lead to 104-83 by the end of the 3rd quarter. Boston tried to rally in the 4th, outscoring Dallas 37-23, but it was too late.

The Knicks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

New York improved to 34-17 on the season with a 121-115 road win over Toronto on Tuesday. The Knicks, who were favored by 5.5 points, covered the spread, while the game’s total of 236 points went over the 228-point line.

A key 12-0 run helped the Knicks take control, as they went from trailing 59-51 to leading 63-59. They dominated the 2nd quarter, outscoring the Raptors 38-17, and entered the 4th quarter up 98-86 before holding off a late push from Toronto.

Celtics Offense Breakdown

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 25 points, shooting 75% from deep, while Payton Pritchard added 21 points, including 16 in the 4th quarter. Kristaps Porzingis and Jayson Tatum each contributed 17 points in the loss to the Mavericks.

Boston hit 16 threes at a 43.2% clip, finishing with an overall field goal percentage of 51.7%. Brown scored 12 points in the 3rd quarter, and Pritchard’s late surge highlighted the Celtics’ offensive effort.

Knicks Offense Breakdown

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 28 points and 5 assists in their win over the Raptors, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 27 points and 20 rebounds. Precious Achiuwa and Mikal Bridges each contributed 17 points, with Achiuwa shooting 63.6% from the field.

The Knicks shot 50% from the field, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 8 threes at a 32% rate. Brunson and Towns each made 2 threes, with Towns shooting 66.7% from deep.

Celtics Team Defense

The Celtics struggled defensively against the Mavericks, giving up 127 points on 55% shooting. Boston allowed 32 points in the 1st quarter, 35 in the 2nd, and 37 in the 3rd before tightening up in the 4th, where they allowed 23 points.

From beyond the arc, the Celtics allowed 15 threes on 45% shooting. Dallas also went 14/18 from the free-throw line. Boston finished with 29 defensive rebounds, gave up 8 offensive boards, and recorded 2 steals and 6 blocks.

Knicks Team Defense

Defensively, the Celtics struggled against the Mavericks, giving up 127 points on 55% shooting. Boston allowed 32 points in the 1st quarter, 35 in the 2nd, and 37 in the 3rd before tightening up in the 4th, where they allowed 23 points.

Boston did limit Dallas to 15 made threes, but the Mavericks still shot 45% from deep. The Celtics sent Dallas to the line 18 times, where they made 14 free throws. Boston recorded 29 defensive rebounds, gave up 8 offensive boards, and finished with 2 steals and 6 blocks.

Celtics vs Knicks Trends

• In their last five games away from home, the Celtics have a straight up record of 4-1 while going 2-3 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 113 points per game in these contests.
• In their last three home games, New York has averaged 115 points per game while allowing 109. The team’s record in this stretch was 3-0 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
• The last ten games that New York was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 4-6 straight up.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Celtics have gone 3-7 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 6-4.

Celtics vs Knicks Prediction

The Knicks come in as the underdog at +2.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 232 and our model has the Celtics and Knicks finishing with a combined 257 points. Our pick is to take the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.