Live 'Dog In Celtics-Knicks Monday At The Garden
The New York Knicks (35-27) host the Boston Celtics (44-17) for their 3rd regular-season meeting Monday at Madison Square Garden and tip-off is 7:30 p.m. ET.
These teams are split 1-1 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) with the road team winning and covering both. Since the All-Star break, the Celtics are 2-0 straight up (SU) and 1-1 ATS, winning two nail-biters.
Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum drives to the basket vs. Knicks All-Star Julius Randle at TD Garden in Boston. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
New York is 2-0 SU and ATS post-All-Star break with two impressive victories. The Knicks have won seven of their last eight games including five straight since Feb. 5 and are 6-1-1 ATS in those contests.
Both teams are profitable in these situations. Boston is 6-2 ATS as a short-favorite (1-to-2.5-points) and NYK is 7-3 ATS as a slight underdog.
Celtics-Knicks Betting Board (DraftKings Sportsbook)
A new and improved NYK
The Celtics boat-raced the Knicks 133-118 in their 1st meeting this season on Nov. 5. NYK got revenge with a 120-117 overtime win in Boston on Jan. 26.
This version of the Knicks is even better than the one the Celtics faced last month and much better than the version in November.
Back in November, New York was still figuring out its rotations with first-year PG Jalen Brunson taking control of the offense.
Jalen Brunson dropping a floater vs. the Celtics at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
NYK had former SG Cam Reddish in the starting 5 in Celtics-Knicks part I. New York gave more run to PG Derrick Rose than combo guard Immanuel Quickley and still had SG Evan Fournier in the rotation.
The Knicks were also missing two starters in their 1st meeting with the Celtics: SG Quentin Grimes and C Mitchell Robinson. Both are in the projected starting 5 for Monday and Boston All-Star Jaylen Brown has been ruled out.
Per CleaningTheGlass.com, Robinson has a +9.8 non-garbage time on/off net rating, which ranks in the 92% of bigs in the NBA. Also, newly acquired wing Josh Hart has been awesome since coming to New York.
Hart has a +17.4 non-garbage time net rating in his five games with the Knicks. That ranks in the 98% of all wings in the NBA and NYK is 5-0 SU.
Brunson and Randle celebrate after the team's win vs. the Wizards at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. (Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)
The Knicks two best players (Brunson and All-Star Julius Randle) have been great in two games vs. the Celtics this season.
Brunson is averaging 25.5 points and 8.5 rebounds. Randle is scoring 33.0 points on 66.4% true shooting (.523/.400/.923).
Finally, per VSIN, more cash is on NYK at DraftKings and more bets are on Boston at the time of writing. Typically, it's wise to follow the money when it's counter to the public since sharps place bigger bets than squares.