It’s a muddled chase for the third seed in the Eastern Conference this season, with many teams capable of capturing it. The Boston Celtics are currently in the catbird seat for it and will aim to hold off the New York Knicks. A road win would be a big step for Boston when the teams face off on Christmas Day.
The Cavaliers are likely to grab the top seed in the conference so avoiding them until the conference finals is everyone’s goal. Even though they are the road team, the Celtics may be slight favorites in this matchup.
At 12 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Sunday, December 25, 2016, at Madison Square Garden Arena.
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Odds Analysis
The Celtics are 16-12 straight up and 16-12 against the spread on the season. They have been the away team 17 times this season and have been impressive in those, covering in 12 of them.
Boston is 12-7 against the spread as the favorite and has covered four times in nine tries as the underdogs. They could either be a slight favorite or underdog in this one, so keep an eye on the spread when it is released.
The Knicks are 15-13 straight up and have done a better job of surpassing expectations, going 17-11 against the spread. New York has been impressive at home, covering in 10 of 14 games.
The Knicks are 8-1 against the spread as the favorite and just 9-9 as the underdog, so being the favorite could mean something in this one, although New York seems more likely go get points.
Player to Watch
Isaiah Thomas – The Celtics point guard is leading the team in scoring and assists so far this season, averaging 26.6 points a game and six assists. Thomas has been averaging 31 points a game since returning from an injury which sidelined him for four games in early December.
Thomas put up 44 points on December 20th against Memphis. He is averaging 28.3 in six games played in the month of December and will be looking to continue his hot streak against New York this week.
Thomas has gone from a sixth man sparkplug to a legitimate All-Star over the past couple of years and is the best player on the Celtics.
Revenge Angle
In the first meeting between these two teams on November 11th, the Celtics won 115-87 in Boston. The Knicks will be looking for a different outcome this weekend at home, where they boast a record of 10-4.
Thomas led the way in Boston’s win over Knicks with 29 points with 23 of those coming in the first half. Carmelo Anthony was ejected from the game for receiving back-to-back technical fouls in the second quarter, forcing the Knicks to play the entire second half without their leading scorer.
New York needs a big game from Anthony to pull this one out, although stopping Thomas could again prove to be difficult.
Free NBA ATS Pick
These teams have similar records, but the Celtics have a better point-differential and are more likely to sustain their success. The Knicks have gotten some good play out of new additions Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to go along with their established duo of Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, and have enough talent to make the playoffs.
The Celtics, though, are the more well-rounded team and one which should be able to claim the third seed behind the Cavs and Toronto Raptors. They can begin pulling away from the rest of the pack with a win in this game.
Thomas should put together a big performance to help his team squeak out a road victory.
NBA Odds: Celtics 104, Knicks 101
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