Sports Writer
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Fireworks will be in full display when the defending champions Boston Celtics host the new-look and fellow title-contenders New York Knicks to open the new NBA season this Tuesday at the TD Garden.
Fresh off its impressive 2024 run, the Celtics remain the odds-on favorite to win it all next year while the Knicks are close behind at +750 to lift the crown.
Will the new-look Knicks play spoiler to the Celtics banner celebration or will the latter pick up where they left off from last season? That remains to be seen but here’s how both teams look to kick-off the new season.
Albeit the departure of guard Svi Mykhailiuk, the championship core of the Boston Celtics remains intact and that could be a pivotal advantage in this upcoming matchup against the New York Knicks.
New York is undergoing a major transitional phase that saw them letting go some of its previous superstars and adding the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and several others.
While the additions of Towns and Bridges will certainly pose a threat to the Celtics back-to-back championship aspirations, it will likely take time for the Knicks to adjust and that is something the home team can exploit here.
One thing head coach Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics have to do here is to start strong and impose its dominance early.
In their final preseason game against the Toronto Raptors, the Celtics found themselves down by 19 early in the game and had to play catchup all throughout.
Coincidentally, the same thing happened the last time New York and Boston faced as the latter found themselves down by 28 heading into the fourth.
Should the Celtics start strong and close out on the Knicks shooters, there could be value towards backing Boston to cover the -5.5 spread at these current odds, especially since they are not only playing at home but also raising its 18th championship banner in this game.
There are plenty of things to love about the New York Knicks this season but none bigger than the acquisition of All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns.
Although some would argue that the Knicks gave up a lot in acquiring Towns, the move has certainly catapulted them into championship contender status.
With Towns at helm and the additions of Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet, New York now has plenty of offensive options to take off the offensive load from spitfire guard Jalen Brunson who was nothing but spectacular last season.
With Porzingis out in this game, Towns and the Knicks’ frontcourt players will have plenty of opportunities to lord it over down low, making the +5.5 spread at these current odds a possible steal.
However, New York will have to find ways to put a stop to the Celtics well-oiled offense, which ranked second in the league last season.
Should the Knicks contain the likes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, picking them to cover the +5.5 spread at -110 on the road is something worth considering, especially since they now have other players to shoulder the scoring.
It is also worth noting that like the Celtics, the Knicks also covered the spread more than 50% of the time last season, having done so 49 times.
Had it not been for the acquisition of Karl Anthony-Towns, the spread could be wider here considering the firepower of the Boston Celtics on both ends of the floor.
With the addition of Towns, the New York Knicks are adding someone who can light it up from both inside and outside and that could pose a problem for the Celtics here.
Nevertheless, I am still picking Boston to make the necessary adjustments and cover the spread to start off their title-retention bid on a strong note.
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