Knicks Vs. Celtics (Feb. 1) Game Preview: Time Start, Channel, Stats, Players To Watch

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 2: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics dribbles

The New York Knicks will take on the Boston Celtics at MSG on Friday night. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. EST on ESPN.

Knicks Host Celtics On Feb. 1

Pay special attention to the New York fans and see how they react to their first game without star Kristaps Porzingis on the team. Tank commanders Tim Hardaway Jr and Courtney Lee will also be missing. But fans should rally behind Dennis Smith Jr in his first game as a Knick, who already dropped a 15-assist triple-double in Madison Square Garden. And keep in mind that this is the last time Kyrie Irving will face the Knicks this season. The only hope left for Knicks fans is that he’ll be on their roster come September.

The Celtics are favored -13.5. At first glance, that might seem to be a huge spread but keep in mind that Boston is meshing and New York just had a major roster shakeup. Despite a shaky start, Boston is holding onto the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. They’ll without a doubt hop over the Pacers if they continue their hot streak. They’ve won seven of their last eight. Against a much better Hornets team, Kyrie’s squad blew them out 126-94. Jaylen Brown looked like an actual NBA player with a team-high 24 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Jayson Tatum kicked in another 20 points and “Scary” Terry Rozier got 17 points and 10 assists. Boston improved to 32-19 overall and 21-6 at home.

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New York is another story. They’ve lost 19 of their last 20 games, are on an 11-game losing streak and sold off their franchise player for scraps. They’re coming off a 114-90 loss against the Dallas Mavericks. Rookie Kevin Knox led the team in scoring with 17 points, while Trey Burke chipped in with 16 points.

Moneywise, the Celtics are 1-4 against the spread in their last five road games, 13-6 in their last 19 games against a team with a losing record and 9-3 against the spread in their last 12 games following a win of more than 10 points. That’s definitely a good sign to bet on them. The Knicks are the complete opposite. New York is 7-16 ATS in their last 23 games following a loss, 2-10 ATS in their last 12 home games, 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games following a loss of more than 10 points and 5-12 ATS in their last 17 against the Eastern Conference.

Bill Piersa