Knicks vs Celtics Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Thursday, January 26th

Check out our free Knicks vs Celtics pick and preview for this NBA game in Boston. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Knicks vs Celtics NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: New York Knicks at Boston Celtics
Where: Boston at TD Garden
Date: Thursday, January 26th
Betting Odds BOS -8.5, NY +281 | BOS -355 O/U 225.5

The Knicks come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 26-23. So far, the team has gone 25-23-1 against the spread. Across the team’s previous 3 games, they have gone 1-2 straight-up and 1-2 vs the spread.

The Knicks are coming off a 105-103 win over the Cavaliers. This away win came despite entering the game as the 3 point underdogs. This was a highly contested matchup, as New York was not able to extend their lead in the second half as they went into halftime with a 2 point lead. In the win, Julius Randle led the team in scoring with 36 points on a field goal percentage of 52.4%.

So far, the Celtics have put together an overall record of 35-14, while going 25-23-1 vs the spread. Boston will take the court having lost 2 straight games. On average, they have lost these games by -9.0 points per game.

Boston is trying to bounce back from a 98-95 loss to the Heat. Going into this game, the team was 2 point underdogs on the spread, giving them an ATS loss. Boston let an opportunity for a win slip away as they held a lead going into the 2nd half of action. Leading the team in scoring was Jayson Tatum, as he contributed 31 points while hitting 50.0% of his shots.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

I Similar to their season-long average, the Knicks averaged 107.0 points per game vs the Celtics. Just like the Knicks, the Celtics maintained their usual level of scoring in head-to-head matchups, averaging 113.0 points per game vs New York. The ATS record across the previous 5 head-to-head meetings is 3-2 in favor of the Celtics. In these matchups, Boston has averaged 117 points per game, while allowing 109. The over-under record in these same games is 4-1, with the teams combining for an average of 226 points per game.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

The Knicks come into today’s game as the 16th ranked scoring offense at 114.1 points per game. So far, the Knicks are averaging 97.7 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. Not only is the team one of the more deliberate units in the NBA, they have yet to find their shooting stroke, ranking just 24th in the league in field goal percentage 45.7%.

So far, the Knicks have played well defensively, as they are ranked 6th in the league at 106.6 points per contest.

Power-Foward Julius Randle currently leads the Knicks at 24.6 points per game. For the season, he is 32nd in the NBA in usage rate and has taken 20.0% of the team’s field goal attempts. In addition to his scoring, Randle is averaging 10.9 boards and 4.0 assists per contest. In today’s game, he is facing off against the NBA’s 8th ranked defense at defending power-fowards. Jalen Brunson enters the game sitting second on the team in scoring. Through 46 games, he is averaging 22.3 and is 68th in the league in player efficiency rating.

The Boston offense will take the floor in today’s game with the league’s 4th ranked offense at 117.6 points per game. The Celtics come into the game as one of the league’s better 3-point shooting teams, connecting at a rate of 15.4 made 3’s per game. One thing that could take the team’s offense to the next level is if they can begin to generate more opportunites at the free-throw line. So far, they are averaging just 18.6 made free-throws per game.

So far, the Celtics have played well defensively, as they are ranked 1st in the league at 104.48 points per contest.

On offense, Jayson Tatum leads the Celtics in scoring at 31.0 points per game, placing him 3rd in the NBA. Overall, Tatum has hit 46.8% of his shots while accounting for 24.5% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 25th in points allowed to power-fowards. At 26.9 points per game, Jaylen Brown is the 2nd leading scorer for the Celtics. For the season, he is 53rd in the league in player efficiency rating, while posting a field goal percentage of 49.2%.