New York at Boston

Many will take the bait with Boston posted as a favorite here. But, just remeber that the Knicks were just 23-18 on the road for the season and Boston was 27-13 at home, and that included 13-7 vs. winning teams. Boston has won games here this season vs. Oklahoma City, Miami, and Denver, so they are plenty capable. The Celtics' defense was one of the best in the NBA over the second half of the season, and the Knicks could do no better than 87 points in the two games at home. To put that in perspective, in 41 home games the Knicks scored less than 88 just one time. Now Boston gets them at home with their backs to the wall, and likely an even greater resolve on the defensive end especially early on. The Knicks have done a great job defending the Celtics as well, and I would expect them to employ the same strong defense early here as well to keep the crowd out of the game. The Knicks are just 5-14 ATS after allowing less than 75 points in their previous game in their last 19, while Boston is 21-7 ATS in their last 28 after scoring less than 75 in their previous game. The UNDER has prevailed in the last five meetings, and defense is going to be the order of the day to start this one. Play Boston on the moneyline and take the first half UNDER.