- What: NBA Regular Season Game
- When: October 22, 2024
- Who: New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics
- Time: 4:30 p.m. PST
- Where: TD Garden (Boston, MA)
The NBA defending champion Boston Celtics will open their season at TD Garden against the New York Knicks.
New York Knicks
The Knicks revamped its lineup with a singular objective: defeating the Celtics. They added former number-one pick Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota and two-way standout Mikal Bridges from the Nets.
Towns provides New York with one of the most exceptional outside-shooting big men in NBA history. He has shot 39.8 percent from the three-point line in his career.
He is a significant improvement over Julius Randle, who was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bridges is considered one of the top wing defenders in the league.
https://twitter.com/nyknicks/status/1848735356515930341
Over the last three seasons, Bridges has limited opposing shooters to a 42 percent, which ranks as the fifth-lowest mark in the league with a minimum of 2,500 attempts.
He is now one of two Knicks defenders capable of slowing down Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Both Bridges and OG Anunoby have 7-foot wingspans and have been recognized for their defensive skills.
They have each been named to the NBA All-Defensive team and have received Defensive Player of the Year votes. New York had a 20-3 record with Anunoby in the lineup after acquiring him from the Toronto Raptors last season, compared to 30-29 without him.
Boston Celtics
Boston retained the core players (Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis) from last season’s championship campaign this offseason.
Last regular season, the Celtics achieved an impressive 63 victories, boasting an average margin of victory of 10.7 points. This outstanding performance marked the fifth-best point differential in NBA history, propelling them to win the East by 14 games.
Their dominance continued in the playoffs, where they went 16-3 en route to securing the championship.
Despite their strong roster, the team won’t be at full strength for tonight’s game. Kristaps Porzingis, who averaged 20 points and 7 rebounds last season, underwent offseason foot surgery and is not expected to return until December.
https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1848756393232199804
As a result, Boston will rely more on forwards Xavier Tillman Sr. and Luke Kornet in the frontcourt during the early part of the season.
Boston showcased a formidable presence on both offense and defense, ranking in the top-six in offensive rating, largely thanks to the contributions of Tatum and Brown, while also securing the second spot in the defensive rating.
Knicks-Celtics Best Bet
The Celtics are currently 6-point favorites, and the total sits at 222.5 points. The Knicks made some roster upgrades, but integrating the players and developing chemistry should take some time.
Although the Celtics are missing Porzingis, they’re raising a championship banner, and the home-court environment will be difficult to deal with.
The moneyline odds are slanted toward the Celtics, and they’re favored to the tune of -245, which is a little steep for my liking. As this is the season’s first game, I don’t have a good feel for the total either.
I’ll side with the Celtics and lay the six points at home against the Knicks.
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Tony Reyes is a sports betting analyst and reporter for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X @TonyParlay.
