On Monday, 05/05, the Boston Celtics will host the New York Knicks for Game 1 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Celtics stormed their way to a 4-1 series win against the Orlando Magic, while the Knicks had to fight in a 4-2 series win against the Detroit Pistons. Will the battle-hardened Knicks give a jolt to the resolute defending champs? Read through the preview, total predictions, and player props here.
Will the Knicks stand any chance?
The Celtics made light work of the Orlando Magic in the first round. The best part about the series was that their ace, Jayson Tatum, was in domination mode. He scored 30+ in three games straight, and was all over the rebounds too. His stellar play and the Celtics’ free-flow style enable them to remain fresh.
In contrast, the New York Knicks play a gritty style. They will have more weary legs, too, after a tough six-game series, which almost feels like a seven-game affair. The Knicks had to battle for each inch and barely made it to the second round.
Thus, Boston has a mental edge. Apart from that, their core group has already won a championship and has been performing at the same level. The Magic did keep them quiet from long range. They made 11.8 triples per game(10 out of 16), compared to the league-high 17.8 TPG during the Regular Season.
However, the Celtics’ defense showed up and shut down the Magic to 93.6 PPG. The Knicks’ offense is much better than Orlando’s, and they will likely breach the 100 PPG mark for the series.
Overall, New York will face many more challenges on the defensive end, and there is a doubt that they will be able to shoot 45% from the field like in the first round. The Celts are the clear-cut favorites, but make no mistake about the high-quality PG to C depth of the Knicks.
Knicks Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Jalen Brunson | SG: Josh Hart | SF: OG Anunoby | SF: Mikal Bridges | C: Karl-Anthony Towns
Key bench players: SG: Miles McBride, C: Mitchell Robinson, PG: Cameron Payne.
Injuries/Updates: Nothing significant to report
Celtics Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Jrue Holiday | SG: Jaylen Brown | SG/SF: Derrick White | SF/PF: Jayson Tatum | C: Kristaps Porzingis
Key bench players: C: Luke Kornet, C: Al Horford, SF: Sam Hauser, PG: Payton Pritchard
Injuries/Updates: Nothing significant to report
The Knicks’ previous series against Detroit hovered over the 205 mark. Both teams scored 110+ in three of the six games. Meanwhile, Boston had many more defensive battles, with none of the games touching the 220-point mark, However, the Celtics scored 107 or more in three games.
The Magic had a better defense than the Knicks, but don’t underestimate their defensive unit there. Overall, there is a high chance of the game falling “Under” the stipulated mark.
Jayson Tatum to score over 28.5 points: Tatum is in playoff takeover mode and averaged 30+ PPG against an elite defensive team. He scored 30+ in three of the four regular-season games. Thus, he is highly likely to go “over” the projected mark.
Karl-Anthony Towns to grab over 11.5 rebounds: KAT averaged 10 rebounds per game in the first round, crossing the “over” mark in just one game. But I see him getting the “over” mark here.
Mikal Bridges to make over 1.5 three-pointers: Bridges nailed 1.8 threes per game in the first round, going over the 1.5 mark on four occasions. I believe he will go “over” the projection here.
Main pick: Mikal Bridges: Three Pointers: O 1.5 for -110 at BetMGM
The Knicks have struggled against the Celtics throughout the season. They beat them by double-digits in three games, while the fourth match went into overtime where Boston escaped with a 2-point win. New York will hope they don’t repeat their regular-season disappointments here.
I think they are prepared for a more effective effort. However, it seems too risky to bet on a win for them. The predicted spread of -8.5 in favor of the Celts makes sense, but I believe the Knicks will cover it even if they lose..
Safe Spread Pick: Spread: Knicks +8.5 for -110 at BetMGM
Betting Lines-
Photo Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
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