The Boston Celtics open defense of their record 18th NBA title by hosting the New York Knicks on Tuesday, October 22 in the season opener. The game is part of a TNT doubleheader and tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET from TD Garden. The Celtics ran away with the Eastern Conference last season finishing 14 games ahead of the second place Knickerbockers. Looking to close the gap New York was active in the offseason acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns in a blockbuster deal. There wasn’t a lot to change with the Celtics roster after they won 64 games a season ago and were the only club to reach the 60-win plateau. They’ll once again rely on the duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who combined to average nearly 50 points. Boston opened as a 5.5-point favorite on the NBA line at the Crypto sportsbook.
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Knicks at Celtics Betting Lines
New York Knicks +5.5 / ML +155
Boston Celtics -5.5 / ML -190
Over / Under 222.5
Knicks at Celtics Same Game Parlay Picks
Knicks +5.5
Knicks / Celtics UNDER 222.5
For those who want to say it was a long season for the Celtics after reaching and winning the NBA Finals, think again. It took them just 19 games to win their 18th championship with none of the four series lasting longer than five games. One thing that will play a role in this game is winning the title, though. Raising a banner to the rafters is always an emotional time and I can easily see the Celtics having a moment of reflection. And every team always gears up to play the defending champs.
The Knicks took steps to become the next team hoisting a banner with a number of offseason moves. Many NBA experts think New York won the offseason with the additions of Towns and Mikal Bridges along with the re-signing of Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby among others. Bridges and Anunoby give the team a pair of strong wing defenders to back a system in place by coach Tom Thibodeau designed to limit the number of points opponents score. One of the NBA’s top defenses a season ago only got stronger.
For the past few years the Knicks played without a true center. That changed with KAT coming to the Big Apple. Last season Towns averaged 21.8 points shooting better than 50 percent from the field and hauled down 8.3 rebounds. He’s a versatile player giving the Knicks more size and an inside presence. And that’s critical in this matchup with Boston’s big man Kristaps Porzingis still sidelined after having surgery on his foot. The Knicks are bigger and more athletic with their revamped roster and should win more than 50 games.
Boston is the team to beat and everyone else in the league is chasing them. I don’t think the Cs will run away from the competition like they did last season and the Knicks are definitely better. They haven’t had a lot of success against the Celtics, though, losing five of the previous six meetings. That lone victory came in the most recent contest and was in Boston with the Celtics having a full roster.
There is plenty of optimism surrounding the Knicks this season and they have plenty of veterans who know the ropes. I’m not throwing shade on the Celtics but I think the new Knicks match up well against them. One key to beating Boston is defending the three and that’s a given with the length of Bridges and
Anunoby. KAT gives them a new look with his size and ability to play the entire floor and we should see Thibs find a comfortable routine with his lineup.
Boston was money at home last season with a league best 37-4 regular season record in the Garden and 11 wins in 13 postseason games. But that was last season and the Knicks are hunting this year. I really like what New York’s done with the roster and sending a message to the champs right out of the gate is important. I considered backing the Knicks on the moneyline but the parquet floor can mess with a team. Instead I’ll take the Knicks and the points while also backing the UNDER on my NBA parlay.
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