The Boston Celtics will be looking to end a three-game losing skid when they wrap up their current three-game road trip with a stop in New York on Tuesday, taking on the improving Knicks as early two-point betting underdogs at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The Celtics travel to New York following a disappointing 101-98 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, blowing a 21-point third-quarter lead en route to their fifth loss in six games, both straight-up and against the spread, including four defeats as betting favorites.
Boston’s current slide dropped it out of the playoff picture in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, falling a half-game back of the eighth-place Orlando Magic and just one game ahead of New York heading into Tuesday night’s Celtics vs. Knicks betting matchup at Madison Square Garden.
The club has enjoyed fast starts in each of its three recent losses, averaging over 31 first-quarter points to grab the early lead in each of those contests, but has followed up with dismal second-half performances, averaging just 43.7 points after the break.
Conversely, the Knicks have inched their way up the Eastern Conference standings, winning nine of their past 15 SU to kick off the week with a 19-20 overall record, already surpassing their total number of wins from all of last season.
New York had to endure a four-game SU losing streak during its current tear but has been one of the league’s top performers at the sportsbooks over the past month, going 12-4 ATS over its past 16 games, according to the OddsShark NBA Database.
The Knicks have also won three straight on home court and five of their past six but have come up short in their last four against the Celtics, including a pair of SU home losses, and were 100-91 losers as 8 1/2-point road dogs in a visit to Boston last month.
Following Tuesday night’s clash, the Celtics return home to take on the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday and the Phoenix Suns on Friday before playing five of their next six on the road.
Indiana will be looking to bounce back from a 107-103 loss in Houston on Sunday when it hosts the Suns on Tuesday night as early 10-point chalk on the NBA betting lines.
The Pacers are a middling 9-11 SU since opening the season on a 12-5 run, which included a pair of wins over the Celtics, while the Suns have tallied just one win in their past 11 games but are 3-1 SU in their last four visits to Boston.
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