NBA Odds: Boston Celtics vs N.Y. Knicks Preview & Pick
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Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks
Date: Monday, March 21, 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Broadcast: CSNE, MSG
Heat vs. Hawks betting lines from Sportsbook.com
Money Line:
Spread: Boston -2
Over/Under: 197.5
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Both the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks are desperate for wins, but for very different reasons. The Celtics are trying to secure first place in the Eastern Conference, while the Knicks are just trying to make the playoffs. The teams hook up on NBA odds Monday night.
New York (35-34, 40-27-2 ATS) expected a surge when it traded for Carmelo Anthony on Feb. 22, but the team has merely waffled since then, going 7-8 both straight up and against the spread. The Knicks lost 100-95 to Milwaukee on Sunday, their fifth loss in six games. They failed to cover and fell to 1-5 against the spread in that span.
Anthony rebounded from Friday’s brutal performance against the Pistons. He hit just two of his 12 field goal attempts in that game, finishing with six points. Anthony came up with 23 points against Milwaukee, but it wasn’t enough to get New York a win, as the rest of his teammates came up lame. The team hit just 38.6 percent of its shots against the Bucks.
On any given night, something else goes wrong for New York. Against Milwaukee, the Knicks shot poorly and were dominated on the glass (losing 50-39). Against Detroit, the Anthony was awful and the Knicks missed free throws. Against Indiana, the club couldn’t get a stop, letting the Pacers shoot 52.3 percent. And so on and so on.
Defense is definitely a reoccurring problem, though. The Knicks are allowing 110.2 points per game in their past five losses. That 100-point bench mark is a pretty good measuring stick of whether or not New York will win; after all, it has allowed at least 100 points in its past 17 defeats.
Either way, the Knicks might be sunk this season—and Anthony admitted as much after Sunday’s loss, suggesting the team might not be a polished product until next season. It’s a terrible sign the players might already be giving up.
The Celtics (49-19, 32-34-2 ATS), meanwhile, are trying to hold off Chicago for the top spot in the East—and are doing a terrible job of it. Boston has just three wins in its past seven games and is just 3-6 against the spread in its past nine. Boston is coming off a win and cover, though, after beating the New Orleans Hornets 89-85 on Saturday.
The offense has gone completely stale. Boston hasn’t topped 92 points in six straight games, averaging just 85.0 points in that span. You don’t have to look far for a major problem: Rajon Rondo. The star point guard looks completely worn out, and his numbers back that theory up.
Rondo has scored just 17 total points in his past five games, never cracking double digits in that span. He’s shooting just 21.6 percent from the field in that span (8-for-37) and, more importantly, he isn’t doing anything else on offense to make up for his poor scoring efforts. Rondo is averaging just 6.6 assists over his last eight games, way down from his season average of 11.5 per game.
While Rondo struggles, Boston is getting some rock-solid play from Jeff Green. Green was brought in for forward Kendrick Perkins at the deadline, and he’s offered a scoring spark off the bench. The former Oklahoma City Thunder forward is averaging 11.5 points on 52.4 percent shooting in a dozen games with Boston.
The Celtics should get a little more oomph when their injuries up front are resolved. Shipping Perkins left them extremely thin, especially with centers Jermaine and Shaquille O’Neal on the injured list. Boston hopes both big men can return in March—Shaq is officially listed as day-to-day—but neither will suit up against New York.
Boston is 8-2 in its last 10 games with New York, but the Knicks have gone 6-4 against the spread. New York covered both times the teams met this year, but this will be the first time they’ve played in the Carmelo Anthony era. This is a great matchup for the defensive challenge Knicks, as they shouldn’t have to worry too much about Boston hanging up a ridiculous number of points. New York will take care of business.
Trends:
NY are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 Mon. games.
Home team is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
Boston at New York Pick: Knicks
Ian Van Den Hurk has covered amateur and pro sports for years, including a successful run handicapping anything from football to mixed martial arts.
