• Boston is a 5.5-point favorite in the Knicks vs Celtics odds on Opening Night
• Kristaps Porzingis (foot) is out for the Celtics
• Keep reading for the latest Knicks vs Celtics odds, prediction and picks for Opening Night

Fresh off their 18th championship, the Boston Celtics begin their title defense tonight versus the New York Knicks. The Celtics roster is largely intact from a season ago, while the Knicks were one of the busiest teams during the offseason. Despite the big moves New York made to bolster its roster, online sportsbooks still view Boston as the superior team per Tuesday’s NBA odds.

Knicks vs Celtics Odds

The Celtics are currently 5.5-point favorites while the total sits at 221.5. This game opened Boston -4.5, but a flurry of Celts money has moved the number up. As it stands on Monday night, 65% of the spread wagers are on Boston, accounting for 64% of the handle in the NBA public betting splits. Tip-off for this Opening Night matchup is set for 7:30 pm ET at TD Garden, in Boston, MA, with TNT providing the coverage. 

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 Odds as of October 21 at 10:30 pm ET. Be sure to check out the best Caesars Sportsbook promos before placing a bet on any Opening Night NBA matchup.

Celtics Begin Season as Title Favorites

Both these teams are among the top-three contenders in the NBA Championship odds, with Boston firmly entrenched as the favorite.

The Celtics won 63 games last regular season, with an average margin of victory of 10.7 points. That was the fifth best point differential in NBA history, and it helped them win the East by 14 games. They proceeded to go 16-3 in the playoffs en route to the title, going 6-0 in clutch-time games.

Got bad news for the rest of the league.

We’re just getting started pic.twitter.com/XY5L0dgzah

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 22, 2024

Boston was dominant at both ends of the court and we should expect nothing less this season. They were top-six in offensive rating thanks to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, while ranking second in defensive rating.

There are no holes on the roster, however they won’t be at full strength tonight. Kristaps Porzingis, who averaged 20 points and 7 boards last season, had offseason foot surgery and won’t return until December.

Knicks Revamped Roster Ready to Challenge Boston

New York meanwhile, overhauled its roster with one goal in mind. Beat the Celtics. The Knicks acquired former number one pick Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota, and two-way standout Mikal Bridges from the Nets.

Towns gives New York one of the best outside shooting big men in NBA history. He’s a massive upgrade over Julius Randle, who was traded to Minnesota, while Bridges is one of the best wing defenders in the league.

Bridges has held opposing shooters to a 42% field goal percentage as the contesting defender over the last three seasons. That’s the fifth lowest mark in the league with a minimum of 2,500 attempts, and he’s now one of two Knick defenders with the chops to slow down Tatum and Brown.

Both Bridges and OG Anunoby boast 7-foot wingspans. They’ve each made an All-Defensive team, and both have earned Defensive Player of the Year votes. New York was 20-3 with Anunoby in the lineup after acquiring him from Toronto last season, compared to 30-29 without him.

Knicks vs Celtics Prediction

The Knicks also feature Jalen Brunson, a premier scorer and top-seven NBA MVP odds candidate. Brunson averaged 28.4 points against Boston last season, shooting 48% from the floor. He was also significantly more clutch than Tatum during the playoffs.

Brunson had 49 points in clutch time last postseason, shooting 41% from three. Tatum on the other hand, finished with only 16 clutch time playoff points, with a dismal 14.3% three-point shooting percentage. Of course the sample size is small, but Brunson will not wither in the final moments if this game is close.

Jalen Brunson vs Celtics Last Season

Another reason to be bullish on New York in this matchup is its three-point defense. The Knicks yielded just 12.5 made threes a season ago, and have significantly improved a defense that ranked 10th in defensive rating.

That’s significant because Boston might break the record for most three-point attempts this season. The Celtics averaged more than 50 three-point attempts in its opening preseason games in Abu Dhabi, and will have to significantly alter their game plan if the long range shots aren’t falling.

Knicks vs Celtics Pick: New York Knicks +5.5 (-110) at
Caesars

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