The New York Knicks will take aim at the first sweep of the 2013 NBA Playoffs when they battle the Boston Celtics this afternoon. Today’s Game 4 clash between the two Atlantic Division rivals is scheduled to tip off at 1:00pm ET at the TD Garden in Boston; the game will be broadcast live on ABC. The latest Knicks vs Celtics NBA Playoff Picks have New York listed as a -2 against the spread road favorite; the Over/Under is set at 181.5 points.

 

Location has mattered little to the Knicks in this series, but perhaps the absence of J.R. Smith may. Smith, the NBA’s Sixth Man Award winner, has been suspended one game by the league for elbowing Jason Terry in the face in Game 3.

 

Smith’s presence will surely be missed given that he is averaging 16.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game for the series; however, as long as Carmelo Anthony is in the lineup, New York should be fine.

 

Anthony, who won the NBA scoring title with a 28.7 points per game average, has proven unstoppable thus far, averaging 32 points per contest while shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc and 94 percent from the charity stripe.

 

Anthony was not at his best on Friday night, but he was certainly good enough, leading the Knicks to a 90-76 victory. The Celtics got 21 and 17 points from Jeff Green and Paul Pierce, respectively, in a losing effort, but as a team Boston shot just 40 percent from the field.

 

The Celtics inability to put the ball in the basket has been their biggest issue all series long, and it seems unlikely they will solve that problem today. Even without Smith, the Knicks, who have won seven of their last eight meetings with the Celtics, ought to complete the sweep.

 

Notable Trends: The Knicks are 4-1 both straight up and against the spread in their last five games as a road favorite with a spread between 0 and 3.5 points.

 

 

New York Knicks -2 (-110), Over 181.5 (-110), -130 (Moneyline)

 

Boston Celtics +2 (-110), Under 181.5 (-110), +110 (Moneyline)  

 

Fezzik is famous for his success. Steve has always been a unique guy, an extroverted Math Geek. A Chess Candidate Master (and High School State 2nd place finisher), later a Fellow in the Society Of Actuaries, Steve was a Vice President for a Major Los Angeles Insurance Company 1995-2001.