The New York Knicks (12-8) travel to face off against the Boston Celtics (15-5) on Friday, December 8th. This game will be played at TD Garden in TD Garden and televised on NBCS. Both the Knicks and Celtics will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 ET.

Knicks vs Celtics

The Knicks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Knicks is coming off a loss to the Bucks in their latest game, ending with a score of 146-122. Turning the tide, the Knicks picked up the win, overcoming a halftime deficit of 75-72.

The Knicks are 12-8 overall and have gone 3-2 in their last five games. In the Eastern Conference, they are currently 6th and 3rd in the Atlantic Division.

New York comes in with an overall ATS record of 12-8 so far this season. This season, New York has a 8-4 record against the spread when they are the favorites, and they are 4-4 as underdogs.

The Celtics Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Celtics were defeated by the Pacers in the most recent game, concluding with a score of 122-112. Besides losing the game outright, the Celtics also fell short against the spread, failing to cover as -4.5 point favorites. Considering the over/under, the total of 234 points fell short of the set over/under line of 245.5.

So far this season, the Celtics are 15-5 and are 3-2 in their last five games. At home, the Celtics are 9-0 compared to their 6-5 road record.

Boston comes in with an overall ATS record of 8-11 so far this season. On the road, the Celtics have an ATS record of 2-8, as opposed to a 6-3 record against the spread when playing at home.

Knicks Offense Breakdown

New York has recorded an average of 111.5 points per game (21st) throughout 20 games games. The Knicks come into the game as one of the league’s better 3-point shooting teams, connecting at a rate of 13.3 made 3’s per game. New York is a strong candidate to see their overall offensive numbers improve, as not only are they a good outside shooting unit, but they do a good job taking care of the ball, ranking 7th in fewest turnovers per game.

Celtics Offense Breakdown

The Celtics step onto the court for today’s game as one of the NBA’s top-scoring squads, putting up 116.5 points per game (10th). So far, the Celtics are averaging 98.3 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. One thing to keep an eye on is if the Celtics will be able to maintain their current level of scoring. Not only does the team tend to play a slower style of basketball, but they are just 29th in shots made inside the arc.

Knicks Team Defense

Coming into today’s game, the Knicks’ defense is giving up an average of 107.5 points per contest.

When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Knicks squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 54.7% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 36.7% from downtown.

Celtics Team Defense

This season, the Celtics defense has been impressive, holding the 4th position in the league while permitting an average of 108.1 points per contest.

For the season, Boston is ranked 28th in fewest fouls per game. Team’s are averaging 19.2 free-throws per game vs. the Celtics and have an overall field goal percentage of 44.1%.

Key Players For The Knicks And Celtics

For today’s matchup, we project Jalen Brunson to lead the scoring for the Knicks, putting up 21 points and shooting at a rate of 8/15. For the season, he has been averaging 24.9 points per game, in addition to 3.7 rebounds.

On the opposing side, we anticipate Jayson Tatum to be the top scorer for the Celtics. Our projection has him finishing the game with 17, and he is expected to secure 5 rebounds. For the season, he has a field goal percentage of 49.9% and is averaging 27.6 points per contest.

Knicks vs Celtics Trends

• Although New York has a straight up record of 1-2 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 1-2. The team averaged 113 points per game in these games.
• Through their last ten home games, Boston has an ATS record of just 2-7-1. However, their overall record was 5-5 while averaging 111 points per game.
• In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Knicks have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 1-2.
• As the betting favorite, the Celtics have an ATS mark of just 3-7 in their last ten games. Boston posted a straight up mark of 7-3 in these matchups.

Knicks vs Celtics Prediction

When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Celtics vs. Celtics game, our recommendation is to take the Knicks at +7. Despite our model showing the Celtics winning 110-109, we like Knicks as our point-spread pick.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 219.5, and our model predicts the Knicks and Celtics to score a combined 219 points. We recommend betting on the under.

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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.