Knicks vs. Celtics Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Sunday, Feb. 8

The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics are set to meet for the third time this season as they continue to jostle for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Currently, the Celtics have the upper hand, as they’ve won five games in a row and sit 4.5 games out of the top spot in the conference. Boston pulled off a wild comeback win over the Miami Heat on Friday night, and it continues to show that it could be a title contender if Jayson Tatum (Achilles) is able to return to action this season.

The C’s lost to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden back in October, but they won by six at home back on Dec. 2, scoring 123 points in that game.

The Knicks are coming off a brutal loss to the Detroit Pistons on Friday, as they were without Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Miles McBride. The Knicks will be without McBride for the foreseeable future – he may not return until the playoffs – due to surgery for a core muscle injury.

In addition to that, Town, Anunoby and Josh Hart all are questionable for this matchup.

As a result, Boston is a 3.5-point favorite on Sunday afternoon in the first of four matchups in the NBA. There is a ton of afternoon basketball to dive into before the Super Bowl kicks off later on tonight.

Let’s take a look at the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for this rivalry matchup between Eastern Conference contenders.

Knicks vs. Celtics Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Knicks +3.5 (-110)
Celtics -3.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Knicks: +136
Celtics: -162

Total

214.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Knicks vs. Celtics How to Watch

Date: Sunday, Feb. 8
Time: 12:30 p.m. EST
Venue: TD Garden
How to Watch (TV): ABC
Knicks record: 33-19
Celtics record: 34-18

Knicks vs. Celtics Injury Reports

Knicks Injury Report

Karl-Anthony Towns – questionable
Josh Hart – questionable
OG Anunoby – questionable
Dillon Jones – out
Miles McBride – out

Celtics Injury Report

Sam Hauser – questionable
Max Shulga – out
Jayson Tatum – out

Knicks vs. Celtics Best NBA Prop Bets

Player Prop Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Celtics Best NBA Prop Bet

Jaylen Brown OVER 29.5 Points (+102)

Looking for a plus-money prop in this game? Brown dominated the Knicks back in December, and he’s averaging 29.5 points per game, making him one of my favorite picks in today’s best NBA props for SI Betting:

Jaylen Brown had a smooth 42 points on 16-of-24 shooting in his last meeting against the Knicks, and New York could be down two key defenders in this game with OG Anunoby and Josh Hart both listed as questionable.

Brown is averaging 29.5 points per game this season, shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from 3-point range. He’s scored 30 or more points in 27 of his 47 games, including two of his three appearances this month.

The All-Star forward leads the NBA in field goals made, field goal attempts and two-point attempts so far this season, giving him one of the best floors in the NBA when it comes to scoring props.

I think he’s a great bet at plus money against the Knicks.

Knicks vs. Celtics Prediction and Pick

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Boston is a great bet at home:

These teams have split their two matchups so far this season, but there is a lot going in Boston’s favor on Sunday afternoon.

The Knicks are coming off an awful showing against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, as they lost by 38 with Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby out of the lineup. Now, there’s a chance Towns, Anunoby and Josh Hart are all sidelined on Sunday.

Even if those guys suit up, the Knicks struggled against Boston in early December, allowing 123 points while Jaylen Brown dropped 42.

Boston is one of the few teams in the NBA that outranks the Knicks in offensive rating (No. 2 vs. No. 3), and it has posted an average scoring margin as home favorite of +9.0.

All season long, the Knicks have been awful on the road, going 11-13 straight up and 8-16 against the spread – the second-worst ATS record in the NBA. If any of the Knicks’ key players sit, Boston should roll at home.

Pick: Celtics -3.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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