Knicks vs. Celtics Prediction, Odds, Key Players to Watch for NBA Opening Night (Trust the Champs)

Does Boston defend home court in its season opener?

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The NBA is BACK!

Tuesday features a pair of opening night matchups, starting with the Boston Celtics raising their 2024 NBA Finals banner against the New York Knicks at TD Garden.

Boston kept the core (Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis) from last season’s title run intact this offseason, but KP will miss the start of the regular season after offseason surgery. 

So, Boston will feature more Xavier Tillman Sr. and Luke Kornet in the frontcourt early on in the season.

As for the Knicks – the No. 2 seed in the East last season – things look much different. 

Donte DiVincenzo, Bojan Bogdanovice, Julius Randle and Isaiah Hartenstein are all out. Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns and Cam Payne are in. But, will it work?

The Knicks are still trying to gel, so much so that Josh Hart admitted that he’s “lost” in the team’s starting lineup right now. 

Josh Hart after just 2 points in preseason: “I’m lost. I have no idea. There’s a couple days before Boston. So whether that’s trying to get a rhythm with that starting unit or we give somebody else a look and my role changes and comes off the bench and go with that unit.”

— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) October 19, 2024

Not what you want to hear going into opening night.

Oddsmakers have favored the defending champs at home in this one, and they went 4-1 against the Knicks in the regular season in the 2023-24 campaign.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, key players to watch, injuries and my prediction for the first NBA game of the 2024-25 season. 

Knicks vs. Celtics Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Knicks +5.5 (-115)
• Celtics -5.5 (-105)

Moneyline

• Knicks: +170
• Celtics: -205

Total

• 223 (Over -112/Under -108)

Knicks vs. Celtics How to Watch

• Date: Tuesday, Oct. 22
• Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
• Venue: TD Garden
• How to Watch (TV): TNT
• Knicks record: 0-0
• Celtics record: 0-0

Knicks vs. Celtics Injury Report

Knicks Injury Report

• Mitchell Robinson – out
• Kevin McCullar Jr. – out
• Precious Achiuwa – out

Celtics Injury Report

• Kristaps Porzingis – out

Knicks vs. Celtics Key Players to Watch

New York Knicks

Karl-Anthony Towns: New York made a massive move right before the start of training camp, trading Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle to Minnesota for Karl-Anthony Towns. One of the best shooting big men in the game, Towns will be relied on heavily for offense by New York this season. 

Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum: After a frustrating Olympic stint where he didn’t play much, Tatum is looking for revenge to open the 2024-25 season. He helped Boston win a title last season, and he altered his jumper a bit in the offseason. Will it pay off with a big scoring night on Tuesday? 

Knicks vs. Celtics Prediction and Pick

There is a key glaring difference between these teams entering Tuesday night’s matchup.

The continuity.

Boston – even without Porzingis playing – returns every rotation player from last season’s team, and it looked like a well-oiled machine during the preseason.

Meanwhile, the Knicks’ rotation is almost completely different outside of Hart, Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride and OG Anunoby. With New York waiving injured wing Landry Shamet on Saturday, there are serious depth concerns for the Knicks going forward.

There’s always the worry of a championship hangover with teams, but Joe Mazzulla’s Celtics may be immune to that given how focused they’ve looked in the preseason. Tatum (lack of playing time in the Olympics) and Brown (snubbed from Team USA) both have reasons to prove people wrong this season. 

I would not be shocked to see Boston win this game going away against the new-look Knicks.

Towns may end up being a problem for the C’s defensively, but ultimately I think the start of the season is going to be a feeling out period for the Knicks.

Trust Boston’s continuity to be the difference on Tuesday. 

Pick: Celtics -5.5 (-105)

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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.