Following their Game 6 win over the Detroit Pistons back on Thursday night, the New York Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, which already had the Boston Celtics waiting for them courtesy of a five-game series win over the Orlando Magic. With the series finally set to start tonight, we’ve got our best Knicks vs. Celtics predictions for Game 1.

We’ve even got multiple Knicks vs. Celtics picks for you to choose from as your best bet, which we’ll also make as valuable as possible with a monster $1,500 BetMGM Sportsbook sign up bonus!

 

 

Knicks vs. Celtics Predictions For Tonight NBA Playoffs Game 1, 5/5

This is a series that so many fans are looking forward to, as it was one that was nearly last year’s Eastern Conference Finals! If not for the Knicks falling in a grueling seven-game series to the Indiana Pacers, it would have been.

Boston went on to sweep their way to the NBA Finals, and how much they’ve cruised through the postseason as of late is what we’re going to dive more into coming up. Similarly, as for list year, it’s all about how much the Knicks have struggled against the top competition, which of course, includes the Celtics.

What will be interesting to watch as this series tips off is how these teams perform from deep. The Celtics have lived and died by the three, while the Knicks defense has not been what we expect from a Tom Thibodeau-coached team. So, the Knicks vs. Celtics odds won’t surprise you in terms of Boston being heavy favorites at TD Garden.

For a bit of foreshadowing, we’re going to be eyeing a couple of player prop markets for the best bets from our Knicks vs. Celtics predictions instead.

 

 

New York Knicks: Can They Finally Beat The Best?

Look, it’s a storyline that’s been beaten to death throughout the regular season every time these matchups come up, but now that we’ve had some time away from it, it’s worth reiterating. The Knicks have been awful against the top teams this year - the Celtics, Cavaliers and Thunder.

They are an abysmal 0-10 against that trio this season, and for betting purposes, they are 1-9 in those games as well. Therefore, it’s not just that they’re losing to these top teams, but they’re also unable to keep things competitive. Against Boston specifically, New York was outscored by 65 points across the four meetings.

 

 

Boston Celtics: Continuing To Cruise

Speaking of Celtics dominance, that has continued following last year’s NBA title run. Sure, they didn’t get the #1 overall seed in the Eastern Conference thanks to the Cavaliers’ amazing season, but they were always lurking in the shadows, knowing that they were more concerned with the playoffs than a regular season record.

That has proven fruitful thus far - they are now an amazing 20-4 in the playoffs the past two years. While it may not have been a sweep in the first round, the Orlando Magic never appeared as a true threat. The Celtics were also able to smoothly get the job done while getting to remain extremely cautious with Jayson Tatum’s wrist injury, which has now had nearly a full week off.

 

 

Knicks vs. Celtics Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines

As you’d expect given everything that we’ve already discussed, Boston is a clear favorite based on the Knicks vs. Celtics odds for Game 1 at BetMGM Sportsbook:

 

 

Knicks vs. Celtics Best Bets: Jalen Brunson Over 27.5 Points / 2.5 Made Threes (-115 / +135 At BetMGM Sportsbook)

Is New York finally going to get over the hump against Boston in Game 1? Perhaps, but rather than trusting that to happen - or back Boston on a major point spread - we’re just going to isolate one star to show out for the best bets from our Knicks vs. Celtics predictions.

We’re certainly not going outside the box by targeting Jalen Brunson, but there are just so many reasons to do so. Firstly, while the Knicks may have struggled against the Celtics this year, Brunson sure didn’t. Shooting nearly 53% from the field and over 43% from deep saw him average nearly 27 points per game against Boston.

Speaking of shooting from deep, we’ve got an interesting situation. It’s certainly not what Jalen Brunson is known for AND the Celtics defend the three ball very well, yet the Knicks superstar made 3+ threes in three of four games against Boston this year. Furthermore, he made 3+ three-pointers three times in the first round, two of which were on the road.

So, if you want some plus-money odds, consider that play from our Knicks vs. Celtics picks. However, you can just stick with points, as 30+ is the standard for Brunson - he did so in five of the six games in the first round.

Better yet, he’s got 16 such games with the Knicks in the postseason alone, which is just two shy of Patrick Ewing for the most in New York history, and he’s done it in 105 fewer games! That’s absolutely remarkable, and on top of that, his seven career 40+ point playoff games with the Knicks have already tied the franchise record.

There truly is just so much to say about the All-Pro point guard, so we’re going with Jalen Brunson over 27.5 points and/or over 2.5 made threes (-115 / +135 at BetMGM Sportsbook) as the best bets from our Knicks vs. Celtics predictions.

 

 

Knicks vs. Celtics Injury Report & Starting Lineup

When it comes to Knicks vs. Celtics injury news, it’s a case of having several players to keep an eye on while also expecting each of them on the court. That’s Boston’s Jayson Tatum and his recent wrist injury and New York’s Jalen Brunson (ankle) and Josh Hart (wrist/back). With recent rest, here are the expected Knicks vs. Celtics lineups for tonight:

NY Knicks:

BOS Celtics:

 

 

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