The 2020-21 NBA regular season will close down Sunday, May 16, as all 30 teams will take the floor, so hereโs the best betting pick for the Atlantic Division showdown at Madison Square Garden where the New York Knicks host the Boston Celtics.
The Knicks should open as firm favorites as on BetRivers Sportsbook, while the totals could be around 205 points. New York and Boston will decide the winner of their three-game series after splitting the first two encounters of the season, while the Knicks have covered the spread in three of their previous four matchups with the Celtics.
Boston heads to the play-in tournament
The Boston Celtics (36-35; 33-38 ATS) have nothing to play for in their regular-season finale at Madison Square Garden. Theyโve already clinched the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference and will take on the No. 8 seed in the first game of the NBA play-in tournament.
The Celtics are coming off a 124-108 victory at the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday afternoon, putting an end to their four-game losing streak. Boston hit 18 triples out of 42 attempts (42.9%), while Jayson Tatum led the way with 26 points and 11 rebounds.
Jaylen Brown (wrist) is done for the season, and the Celtics decided to rest Kemba Walker, Tristan Thompson, and Marcus Smart on Saturday. Boston has some serious injury worries, as Robert Williams (toe) is questionable for the play-in tournament, so the Celtics will probably give their key players more rest on the final day of the regular season.
The Knicks can finish fourth in the East
The New York Knicks (40-31; 45-25-1 ATS) outlasted the Charlotte Hornets in overtime on Saturday afternoon, 118-109, and covered a 5-point spread. Interestingly, the Knicks failed to score in the final 4:34 of the fourth quarter and still managed to escape with a victory.
Julius Randle put on a show once more and posted a triple-double of 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists. Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickly, and Alec Burks combined for 42 points off the bench, while Nerlens Noel had eight points, 11 boards, and five blocks.
The Knicks are tied with the Atlanta Hawks for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, but the Miami Heat had a chance to join the company with an eventual victory over Milwaukee on Saturday night. New York owns a tie-breaker with Atlanta, but the Knicks went 0-3 straight up against the Heat this term.
Trends:
New York:
- 17-4 ATS in the last 21 games overall
- 9-0 ATS in the last nine tilts against the Eastern Conference
Boston:
- 3-9 ATS in the last 12 games overall
- 3-6 ATS in the last nine games against the Knicks
The Knicks have to win this clash if they want to earn the No. 4 seed in the East, and I think New York will get the job done easily. The Celtics are already looking to the play-in tournament and will rest their best players, no doubt.
Both teams play back-to-back, and the Celtics wonโt risk anything, as one more injury could destroy their playoff hopes. Therefore, give me the Knicks to cover.
Pick: Take New York Knicks ATS at -110
The Total:
The previous two meetings between the Knicks and Celtics were proper low-scoring affairs. New York won 105-75 as a 7-point road dog with a total of 210.5 points, while Boston responded with a 101-99 victory as a 3-point home fave with a total of 208.0 points.
I would stick with the Knicks to cover. The visitors can play in a relaxed manner, so I wouldnโt be surprised if we get a free-flow game with a bunch of baskets even though the Knicks play at the slowest pace in the NBA and own the third-best defensive rating.
Pick: Go over 217.5 points at -110