Celtics vs. Knicks prediction and odds for opening night (Expect high-scoring affair)
The Boston Celtics open up the 2023-24 season on the road against the New York Knicks, the second time in three seasons these squads have met on opening night.
Boston is fresh off a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the team has a new look in the 2023-24 season with Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingins being brought in from the trade market. The team moved on from Marcus Smart, Grant Williams, and Robert Williams III in the process.
The Knicks, who kept most of their rotation intact from last season, are hoping to build on a season where they finished with the No. 5 seed in the East and made the second round of the playoffs.
New York did take down Boston in three of the four meetings between the teams last season, but do things change in the 2023-24 campaign?
A great place to bet on this matchup is WynnBET Sportsbook, the best place for Massachusetts bettors. The Celtics are favored in this game at WynnBET and all our odds in this story come from there.
Celtics vs. Knicks odds, spread and total
Spread
- Celtics -3.5 (-110)
- Knicks +3.5 (-110)
Moneyline
- Celtics: -165
- Knicks: +140
Total
- 224.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
Celtics vs. Knicks how to watch
- Date: Wednesday, Oct. 25
- Game Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: Madison Square Garden
- How to Watch (TV): ESPN
- Boston Celtics Record: 0-0
- New York Knicks Record: 0-0
Celtics vs. Knicks injury reports
Boston Celtics injury report
- Al Horford (day-to-day)
New York Knicks injury report
- No injuries to report
Celtics vs. Knicks key players to watch
Boston Celtics
Jrue Holiday: Holiday is taking over as the lead point guard for Boston, providing a massive offensive upgrade over Smart in the 2023-24 season. The question will be how quickly he can mesh with Tatum, Brown and Porzingis in the offense.
Jayson Tatum: An MVP candidate, Tatum has a chance to take the next step this season and lead Boston to a title. He should have a favorable matchup against the Knicks, who ranked 19th in defensive rating last season.
New York Knicks
Jalen Brunson: An All-Star snub last season, Brunson put together a monster playoffs to lead the Knicks to the second round. He’s one of the craftiest guards in the NBA.
Josh Hart: Hart will likely spend a lot of time matched up with either Tatum or Brown. After being acquired at the trade deadline, Hart thrived with New York. The team went 17-8 in 25 regular season games with him in the lineup.
Celtics vs. Knicks prediction and pick
Rather than betting on the Celtics to win and cover as road favorites, I think there is some value in expecting this to be a high-scoring matchup.
Three of the four matchups between these teams last season easily cleared this number, with the Knicks’ 109-94 win on Feb. 27 being the only matchup that fell shy of this number.
Both of these teams possess elite offenses, as Boston was No. 2 in the NBA in offensive rating last season and the Knicks were No. 4.
Neither team pushed the pace (both in the bottom half of the NBA), but that doesn’t matter if you’re scoring at an efficient rate.
Even with a lot of new faces in Boston, I still expect Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to get whatever they want against this Knicks defense. Let’s root for points in Game 1 of 82.
Pick: OVER 224.5 (-110)
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
