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The Boston Celtics (44-17) will travel to New York to take on the New York Knicks (35-27) Monday night. Tipoff from Madison Square Garden is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. This is the third time these teams will play this season with the series tied at 1-1.
The Knicks have no injuries listed heading into this matchup. For the Celtics, Derrick White is questionable as he’s dealing with a ankle sprain. Jaylen Brown is out for personal reasons.
The Celtics are 2.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook and the point total sits at 223. On the moneyline, the Celtics are -140 while the Knicks are +120.
Celtics vs. Knicks, 7:30 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Celtics -2.5
For as good as the Celtics have been, they have been streaky this season. However, the Knicks have had struggles at home. The Celtics are 16-14 against the spread on the road, while the Knicks are 13-16-3 against the spread at home. The Celtics’ win against the Knicks this season was on the road.
With Brown out, I expect Jayson Tatum to carry this Boston team to a win. His MVP chances are fading and he knows that. I expect him to score 35+ points tonight and get a big road win without Brown. The Knicks have won five straight games and are due for a loss. Take Boston to win and cover on the road.
Over/Under: Over 223
The over has cashed in 19 of 32 home games for the Knicks this season. Both previous matchups between these two teams went over this number handily. Tonight, I expect both teams to have success offensively and this to be a tight game for a good portion. If it’s close, we could see some game-clinching free throws late and that should push this game over the total.