Boston Celtics at New York Knicks NBA Picks & Predictions 10/20/2018

Saturday, October 20, 2018

Madison Square Garden

Get todays NBA odds and lines on this game.

The Boston Celtics travel to Madison Square Garden to play the New York Knicks on Saturday, October 20, 2018. The opening line for this matchup has Boston as 9 point favorites.

The Celtics have a regular season record of 1-0. They are 1st in the Atlantic Division. They have a point differential of 18 as they average 105 points per game while giving up 87 per contest. The Knicks have an overall record of 1-0 this season. They are 2nd in the Atlantic Division. They average 126 points per game and surrender 107, good for a point differential of 19.

Valuable Boston Celtics Betting Trends

The Boston Celtics are 1-0-0 against the spread

The Boston Celtics are 0-1-0 against the over/under

Important New York Knicks Betting Trends

The New York Knicks are 1-0-0 against the spread

The New York Knicks are 1-0-0 against the over/under

Key Boston Celtics Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key New York Knicks Injuries

10/17/18 G Courtney Lee Neck is questionable Friday vs Brooklyn
10/17/18 PG Emmanuel Mudiay Ankle is questionable Friday vs Brooklyn
10/11/18 F Kristaps Porzingis Knee is out indefinitely

Player Spotlight

Gordon Hayward averages 10 points per game in 25 minutes per contest. He averages 5 rebounds per game. His field goal percentage is 33% for the year while his free throw percentage is 50%. Jayson Tatum comes into this contest averaging 23 points per game while playing 29 minutes per night. He pulls down 9 rebounds per game and dishes out 3.0 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 53% while his free throw percentage is at 80%.

Player Spotlight

Tim Hardaway averages 31 points per game and he sees the court an average of 29 minutes per contest. He also averages 6 rebounds per contest and 5 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 46% and his free throw percentage is 100%. Enes Kanter averages 16 points per game while playing 27 minutes per contest. He grabs 11 rebounds per game and has 3 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 56% and his free throw percentage is at 86%.

Useful Team Statistics

The Celtics allow 87 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 2nd in the league. They also allow a 39% shooting percentage and a 19% average from behind the arc, ranking them 4th and 2nd in those defensive categories. Opponents average 47 rebounds a game which ranks 17th, and they give up 18 assists per contest which puts them in 5th place in the league. They force 16 turnovers per game which ranks them 21st in the league. Boston averages 105 points per contest this season, which ranks them 22nd in the NBA. Their average scoring margin is 18 and their shooting percentage is 43% as a team, which has them ranked 17th. Behind the arc they shoot 30% which is good for 20th in the league. They average 55 rebounds per game and 21 assists per contest, which ranks them 5th and 13th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 13th with 14 per game.

Useful Team Statistics

The Knicks surrender 107 points per contest, which ranks them 11th in the NBA. Their defense allows a 46% shooting percentage and a 28% average from 3-point range, ranking them 20th and 9th in those defensive statistics. They rank 6th with 19 assists allowed per contest, and 10th with 45 rebounds surrendered per game. The Knicks are 30th in the NBA in forcing turnovers with 24 per game. New York is 3rd in the league with 126 points per game this year. They are 12th in the league in shooting at 46%, while their average scoring margin is 19. They shoot 36% from 3-point range, which is good for 11th in the NBA. They are 14th in the league in rebounding with 46 boards per game and 14th in assists per contest with 21. The Knicks are 10th in turnovers per game with 15.

Advanced Statistics

The Celtics are 23rd in the NBA in offensive rating with 100.5, and their defensive rating of 83.3 is ranked 1st. In terms of pace they are 9th in the league with 104.5 possessions per 48 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 49% is 16th. As a team they are 21st in the NBA in true shooting percentage with 51% and they shoot 3-pointers on 38% of their shots, ranking 7th in the league. Boston is 14th in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 11.9 times per 100 possessions while forcing 14.1 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 42%, which is 28th in the league.

Advanced Statistics

New York is 15th in the NBA in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 11.8 times per 100 possessions while forcing 19.7 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 51%, which is 13th in the league. The Knicks are 9th in the NBA in offensive rating with 111, and their defensive rating of 94.3 is ranked 3rd. In terms of pace they are 1st in the league with 113.5 possessions per 48 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 52% is 11th. As a team they are 11th in the NBA in true shooting percentage with 56% and they shoot 3-pointers on 33% of their shots, ranking 15th in the league.

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take New York +9

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