Knicks vs. Celtics prediction: NBA Opening Night odds, picks, best bets
The Knicks and Celtics face one another on the NBA’s opening night for the second time in as many years.Only this time, the Knicks will begrudgingly watch Boston hang its 18th championship banner. Knicks fans might want to look away from the pomp and circumstance as it’ll be another painful reminder that their team has won just two titles since being founded in 1946 and is stuck in a 51-year championship drought. However, this is one of their strongest teams in recent memory and looks like a legitimate contender this season. The trade for Karl-Anthony Towns before training camp gives them a frontcourt player who can stretch the floor, similar to what the Celtics have with Kristaps Porzingis. However, Towns does have some limitations defensively, so it’ll be interesting to see how he meshes with the team once the season gets underway. While his arrival could impact some players, Josh Hart shouldn’t be one of them.
One of his props is our target Tuesday night. Despite having great size as a 7-footer and spending more and more time on the perimeter, Towns has become less of a rebounding force over the last few seasons, averaging 8.2 per game. The Knicks lost their leading rebounder, forward Julius Randle, in the trade for Towns, while Isaiah Hartenstein departed Oklahoma City as a free agent. Hart, at 6-foot-4, is a tremendous rebounder for his size, and his unique skill set as a jack-of-all-trades player is something the Knicks can’t easily replicate. Hart’s player prop on Tuesday night for rebounding plus assists is available at 12.5, a number he had exceeded in eight of the Knicks’ final 10 games last season and a mark well below his averages for the final four months. And while Hart struggled in the preseason, he should get plenty of run in the opener with Precious Achiuwa expected to miss two to four weeks with a strained hamstring. THE PLAY: Josh Hart over 12.5 rebounds plus assists (-120, DraftKings)Michael Arinze handicaps most major s...