Celtics vs. Knicks odds, picks, best bets, NBA predictions for Friday from proven model

The New York Knicks (1-0) have the Boston Celtics (0-1) rolling into town for an Eastern Conference showdown on Friday night. The Knicks opened the campaign with a 119-111 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. The Celtics weren’t able to defend their home court, as the Philadelphia 76ers beat Boston 117-116 on Oct. 22. The Celtics swept the season series 4-0 during the 2024-25 season. 

Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden in New York City, where the Knicks went 27-14 last season. New York is a 3.5-point favorite in the latest Celtics vs. Knicks odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 229.5. Before locking in any Celtics vs. Knicks picks, make sure to check out the NBA predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

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The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past seven seasons. The model enters the 2025-26 NBA season on a sizzling 160-118 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning nearly $4,000. It also went 24-11 (69%) on top-rated NBA against-the-spread picks last season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

Now, the model has simulated Celtics vs. Knicks 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NBA picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and NBA betting lines for Celtics vs. Knicks:

Why the Knicks can cover

The Knicks hired Mike Brown as the head coach this offseason, and his impact was felt immediately, as New York had 11 players step on the floor in the season-opening win. Forward OG Annouby played well on both sides of the ball, logging 24 points and tying a career-high 14 rebounds. He also had three steals, one block and knocked down four 3-pointers. 

Forward Mikal Bridges is another two-way threat in the frontcourt. Bridges stuffed the stat sheet, finishing with 16 points, five rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks. Meanwhile, guard Jalen Brunson poured in 23 points, four boards and five assists. Last season, New York went 23-20-1 ATS as the home favorite. See which team to back at SportsLine.

Why the Celtics can cover

With Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out for an extended period, the Celtics are leaning on both Derrick White and Jaylen Brown. Last season, White averaged 16.4 points, 4.8 assists and made 38% of his 3-pointers. In the opener against the 76ers, the 31-year-old racked up 25 points, three rebounds, four assists and knocked down four 3-pointers.

Brown can also create his own shot from all over the floor. On Tuesday against the 76ers, the California product dropped 25 points, six rebounds, four assists, and went 9-of-18 from the field. Guard Payton Pritchard is another floor spacer for this group. On Tuesday, Pritchard had 16 points, five boards and two steals. See which team to back at SportsLine. 

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How to make Celtics vs. Knicks picks

SportsLine’s model has simulated Celtics vs. Knicks and is leaning Under the total, projecting 221 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s NBA picks. 

So who wins Celtics vs. Knicks, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Celtics vs. Knicks spread to back, all from the model that has returned well over $10,000 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.