New York gets to play this game at home, but the Celtics are clearly the superior team and should be the favorites. The Knicks would love nothing more than to be spoilers since they aren’t making the playoffs, but it will be hard to do.
Boston wants to finish strong and should be able to pick up this victory to keep the pressure on Cleveland in the race for the top seed.
This war on the floor will go down Sunday, April 2, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET at the Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, New York. The game will be televised live on ABC.
We'll have NBA odds available for this and every game on the NBA Sunday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Celtics are 48-27 straight up and 38-36-1 against the spread. Boston has gone 22-15-1 against the spread on the road this season. The Celtics have been the favorite in 55 games this season and has covered in 28 of them.
The Knicks are 28-47 straight up and 39-36 against the spread. New York has played pretty well at home against the spread, covering in 20 of 36 attempts. The Knicks are 28-24 against the spread as the underdogs this season.
Key Stat
Zero. That’s the number of games separating the Celtics and the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference standings. With no room for error, every win matters right now for Boston. Cleveland is percentage points ahead because it has one fewer win and loss, but this one could go either way with so few games remaining.
With a record of 2-1 against the Knicks this season, the Celtics have the edge in this one but nothing is promised in this league. Boston also has matchups against Cleveland and Atlanta remaining on its schedule. The Celtics have won four of their last five games but lost a big one after taking a half-game lead. They have to get back on track to win the Eastern Conference.
Player to Watch
Isaiah Thomas -- Boston’s point guard continues to lead the Celtics into the final stretch of the season. He is averaging a team-high 29.5 points a game. He has scored 30 points or more in the last three straight games for the Celtics.
Thomas finished with 39 points against the Knicks in the latest meeting between the teams on January 18th despite the Celtics loss. He combined for 56 points in the first two games against the Knicks.
Thomas leads a Boston offense that averages 107.8 per game. He will be looking to deliver another big performance in this game against the Knicks to prepare him for a big showdown against the Cavs next Wednesday.
Free NBA ATS Pick
Even if the Cavaliers finish as the No. 2 seed in the East, they will still be favored to emerge from it and advance to the NBA Finals. However, Boston has proven to be one of its main roadblocks, and home court advantage in the Eastern Conference Finals could be huge.
Cleveland seems likely to turn it on down the stretch and finish with a better record, but the Celtics won’t go quietly. Boston should be able to win this game and remain on pace at least for another game.
Look for Thomas to have a big game in this one as the Knicks struggle to defend.
NBA Odds: Celtics 112, Knicks 102
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