NBA

Boston Celtics at New York Knicks odds, picks and prediction

USA Today Sportsbookwire

The New York Knicks (40-31) host the Boston Celtics (36-35) at Madison Square Garden Sunday for each team's regular-season finale. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Celtics-Knicks odds and lines, with NBA picks and predictions.

New York controls its own destiny in terms of playoff seeding after beating the Charlotte Hornets 118-109 and the Miami Heat's loss at the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday. If the Knicks win, they'll clinch the 4-seed and host a first-round series with the fifth-place Atlanta Hawks.

Boston has turned its attention to the play-in games as it's locked into the 7-seed. The Celtics crushed the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-108 Saturday. They're slotted to play the Hornets pending the outcomes of Sunday's games for Charlotte and the Washington Wizards

This is the rubber match between these two teams as they split the first two games but New York covered the spread in both meetings.

Celtics at Knicks: Odds, spread and lines

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports' betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:55 a.m. ET.

Money line : Celtics +475 (bet $100 to win $475) | Knicks -650 (bet $650 to win $100)
Against the spread/ATS : Celtics +11 (-110) | Knicks -11 (-110)
Over/Under : 213.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Celtics at Knicks: Key injuries

Celtics

SF Jayson Tatum (ankle) out
SG Evan Fournier (knee) out
PG Marcus Smart (calf) out
PF Tristan Thompson (chest) out
PG Kemba Walker (neck) out
C Robert Williams (toe) out

Knicks

C Mitchell Robinson (foot) out

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Celtics at Knicks: Odds, lines, predictions and picks

Prediction

Knicks 119, Celtics 107

Money line (ML)

PASS because New York is the pick here, however, the Knicks (-650) are out of my price range for an NBA regular-season favorite even if it's the final game of the season and one team has clear motivation while the other is looking ahead.

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Against the spread (ATS)

BET the KNICKS -11 (-110) for 1 unit because the Garden will be rocking in hopes of New York having one of the better year over year turnarounds in NBA history.

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau will be a Coach of the Year finalist and leading scorer, assist man and rebounder PF Julius Randle is almost a lock for Most Improved Player of the Year.

Critics have dogged the Celtics all season for playing with too much finesse and I doubt Boston matches New York's physicality or intensity Sunday.

Over/Under (O/U)

PASS, since New York's calling card has been its top-notch defense but people are sleeping on the Knicks' third-ranked 3-point percentage.

My expectation is New York shuts down a Boston team missing several key contributors but there's a chance the Knicks light up the Celtics defense.

Also, one of the other knocks on Boston is its proclivity for iso-ball. The Celtics' backups have zero pressure on their shoulders entering this matchup and maybe they have some hot shooting stretches.

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