The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, Atlantic Division rivals, will open the NBA Playoffs against one another tomorrow afternoon at Madison Square Garden. Tip off in Saturday’s series opener is set for 3:00pm ET; the game will be broadcast live on ABC. Game 1 NBA Odds have the hosting Knicks, who are the two seed in the Eastern Conference, listed as a -6.5 against the spread favorite. The Over/Under in tomorrow’s game is set at 190.5 points. New York is a -300 moneyline favorite ($300 wins $100) to win the best of seven series.
Boston’s season has been marred by injury and long losing streaks, but it still managed to find its way into the playoffs, capturing the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference with a 41-40 record (Tuesday’s game with Indiana was canceled, leading to an 81 game campaign).
Most expect the Celtics post season run to be a short lived one, though, as they face a far superior first round opponent in the Knicks. New York produced the second best record in the Eastern Conference, finishing the season at 54-28, and it enters the playoffs on an incredible high.
The Knicks, who are 31-10 at Madison Square Garden, have won 17 of their last 19 games. During that stretch they recorded 100-85 and 108-89 wins over the Celtics and they even knocked off the top seeded Heat 102-90 in Miami.
Boston is a savvy, veteran squad and it will not go down without a fight tomorrow or throughout the course of the series; however, it simply does not have the man power to beat the Knicks in a best of seven set.
Notable Trend(s): The Over is 9-0-1 in the Celtics last 10 games as a road dog with a spread between 4 and 7.5 points.
Boston Celtics +6.5 (-110), Over 190.5 (-110), +250 (Moneyline)
New York Knicks -6.5 (-110), Under 190.5 (-110), -300 (Moneyline)
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