NBA
Knicks vs Celtics Prediction and Picks for October 22 2024
The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics will tip off the 2024-25 NBA season on Tuesday at TD Garden. The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
The Celtics are 5.5-point spread favorites and the game total is 221.5 points scored.
New York was 50-32 last season, finishing second in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks made a significant trade with Toronto, sending RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second-round pick to the Raptors in exchange for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn. Anunoby (14.7 PPG and 4.2 RPG) was a key piece for New York, helping the Knicks go on a 14-2 run in January. A season-ending injury to star forward Julius Randle (24.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG and 5.0 APG) at the end of the month significantly hindered the Knicks’ chances to win it all, though, and NY fell to Indiana in the EC semifinals.
Boston was 64-18 last season, the best record in the NBA. It was the class of the East throughout the regular season, coasting to the number one seed. The C’s proved their dominance translated against the West too, as they took down Dallas in five games. It was the franchise’s first NBA championship since 2008 and the Celtics’ 18th overall, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history.
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Are the Knicks an elite squad?
New York made a couple of significant splashes this offseason, acquiring Mikal Bridges (19.6 PPG and 4.5 RPG) from Brooklyn and Karl-Anthony Towns (21.8 PPG and 8.3 RPG) from Minnesota. Bridges was a college teammate of Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart at Villanova, while Towns is a local kid from New Jersey. The blockbuster trades sent a message to the rest of the Eastern Conference that the Knicks aren’t satisfied with just playoff appearances anymore, but will those moves pay off?
Brunson looks to build off a superstar season in which he averaged 28.7 points and 6.7 assists. He followed that up with 32.4 points and 7.5 assists per game in the 2024 postseason. He will benefit from the addition of Towns, who can stretch the floor as well as any big man in the league. The duo will be a constant threat in the pick-and-roll this season. The losses of Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, who were shipped to Minnesota in the Towns deal, won’t be felt much on the court, as Bridges and Towns will replace their offensive production.
The Knickerbockers boast plenty of depth, too. Backup guard Miles McBride was terrific last season, including the playoffs, Hart is the glue of the team and there are several other intriguing pieces, including big man Mitchell Robinson, veteran guard Cam Payne, and rookie draft selections Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kolek. The question looms, however, if this team has the chemistry and talent to win an NBA title.
Injury report: PF Precious Achiuwa (hamstring) and C Mitchell Robinson (ankle) are out. PG Kevin McCullar Jr. (knee) and SF Jacob Toppin (ankle) are questionable.
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Boston wants another championship banner
The Celtics snapped a 15-year title drought last season and look primed to make consecutive NBA Finals appearances this season, but are they capable of going back-to-back?
“They’re motivated,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I’m not trying to find new ways to do it. I think it’s making sure we stay open-minded to we have to get better. And I think that’s the challenge. It’s not they’re not motivated. We compete at a high level every day. The guys have done that. It’s open-minded to just because something worked once doesn’t mean it’s going to work again … it’s going to look different, and we have to be able to be ready for that.”
Boston is a talented, veteran-led team with Jayson Tatum (26.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG and 4.9 APG) and Jaylen Brown (23.0 PPG and 6.9 RPG with a 49.9% FG%) at the head. The squad was built to compete for multiple runs at the championship, and there’s no reason for Bostonians to expect anything less than that. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White both signed long-term deals this offseason, eliminating any potential contract distractions.
It can’t be overstated how impactful both players are, as Holiday is one of the top on-ball defenders in the NBA and White is one of the top perimeter role players for his game-changing three-point shooting and lockdown defense. Aside from a few minor injury setbacks, Kristaps Porzingis was an excellent post player last season and will be one of the NBA’s top rim protectors again this year. Al Horford is turning 39 this season, so he will need Porzingis to be mostly healthy and Xavier Tillman to play well off the bench to stay relatively fresh.
Injury report: PF Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) is out.
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Best Bets for New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics
Full-Game Side Bet
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Betting Trends: Boston is 5-1 SU and 4-1-1 ATS in its last six games versus New York.
I’ll lay the points with the Celtics on Tuesday. The Knicks are a work in progress with their new additions, while the C’s are a finished product. Yes, every season brings change but you don’t fix something that isn’t broken. Boston will dominate down low and space the floor with White, Sam Hauser and others, building a sizable early advantage. New York will flirt with covering the spread, but it won’t find enough easy looks around the hoop.
The Knicks have talent and upside, but the Celtics are in pursuit of consecutive championships. Bet on the proven winners on NBA’s opening night!
Prediction: Celtics -5.5
Full-Game Total Pick
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Betting Trend: The over is 21-7 in the Knicks’ last 28 games (+13.30 units/43% ROI). It was 18-12 when they were road underdogs and 28-24 when the Celtics were home favorites last season.
The Celtics return their top 11 scorers from last year’s team, which was the most efficient in NBA history, averaging 122.2 points per 100 possessions. They also took great care of the ball, averaging 12.1 turnovers per 100 possessions. The Knicks, who ranked fourth in offensive efficiency last season, boosted their lineup with Towns and Bridges, who are reliable for 15-20 points each. New York has to figure out how all of its pieces fit together, but I don’t envision that being a concern on opening night, as they’ll be plenty motivated to ball out against the defending champs.
The Celtics project to be solid defensively, but their rim defense will be tested with Porzingis out. New York’s frontcourt will also be vulnerable defensively with Achiuwa and Robinson sidelined. With all that said, I’m betting on the total to blow past 221 points in tomorrow’s season opener.
Prediction: Over 221.5
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