Knicks vs. Celtics prediction and odds for Thursday, January 26 (Knicks can cover)
By Peter Dewey
The NBA’s rivalry week is here, and that means we get a classic New York-Boston matchup in primetime on Thursday night.
The New York Knicks are fresh off of a gutsy win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, and now they’re on the road to take on Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics as road underdogs.
The Celtics have lost back-to-back games, and they won’t have reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart due to an ankle injury.
Boston won the first meeting between these teams this season, hitting 27 of their 51 shots from beyond the arc (52.9 percent) in a 15-point win.
New York is a completely different team since that matchup, featuring a shortened rotation with a major emphasis on the defensive end of the floor. That has propelled the Knicks to the No. 9 net rating in the NBA.
Does New York continue to play well on the road where it is 14-10 straight up this season?
Here’s a look at the odds and a pick for this game:
Knicks vs. Celtics odds, spread and total
Knicks vs. Celtics prediction and pick
This is the perfect spot to back the Knicks, as they’re sizable underdogs in this game but have thrived on the road this season.
New York has the best record against the spread on the road in the 2022-23 campaign, going 16-8 overall and 10-7 ATS as road underdogs.
Boston has been solid as a home favorite, going 13-10 ATS and winning those games by an average margin of 9.3 points, but this may be too many points to give this Knicks team.
The big issue in the first meeting was the Knicks’ poor defense from beyond the arc, allowing 27 3-pointers, but they’ve been much improved since then.
On the season, the Knicks rank third in the NBA in opponent 3-point percentage, a major flip from early in the 2022-23 campaign.
I also think the absence of Smart favors the Knicks, as it should make life easier for Jalen Brunson in this game. The Celtics certainly have more firepower, but the Knicks should at least be able to compete in this game.
New York shouldn’t be getting 8.5 points given its play on the road this season. Back the Knicks.
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.