The back-and-forth Eastern Conference Semifinal matchup between the Celtics (2) and the Knicks (3) continues with a must-see Game 6 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
New York is still in the driver’s seat thanks to its 3-2 series lead, but the pressure is on Jalen Brunson and Co. to take care of business tonight to avoid having to go on the road in Game 7.
The Celtics were outstanding in Game 5 with their backs against the wall after losing both Game 4 and star Jayson Tatum to a season-ending Achilles injury on Monday night.
If Boston can get another performance like the one it got from Jaylen Brown on Wednesday night (26 points, 8 rebounds, 12 assists), this series will probably require a seventh game. If necessary, Game 7 would take place Sunday evening in Boston.
While Brown deserves a ton of credit for his defense on Brunson in Game 5, keeping New York’s top scorer in check for the second game in a row will be a massive task for the Celtics’ de facto No. 1 scorer right now.
Celtics vs. Knicks Game 6 Betting Odds
How to Watch Celtics vs. Knicks Game 6
- Tipoff: 8 p.m. ET
- Channel: ESPN
Celtics vs. Knicks Series Winner Odds (as of May 16)
- DraftKings: BOS +225; NYK -275
- FanDuel: BOS +220; NYK -270
Celtics vs. Knicks Game 6 Player Props
M. Robinson 8+ rebounds (+100 at DraftKings) — 1 unit
Mitchell Robinson has quietly been a rebounding machine the last few games.
His 13-rebound night in Game 5 represented his statistical breakout in this series, but he had averaged a solid 7.75 rpg in Games 1-4.
In fact, he has been such a force in the paint for the Knicks that with Karl-Anthony Towns struggling on defense and with foul trouble, Robinson and KAT essentially split the center minutes in Game 5. Towns played just under 29 minutes, while Robinson logged just over 23 minutes.
While Towns has committed at least four fouls in every game of this series, Robinson was whistled just eight times total in Games 1-5. Obviously, if Towns is once again in foul trouble tonight, that will mean more minutes — and rebound opportunities — for Robinson.
That being said, the Knicks will continue to rely on both players as much as they can, though that shouldn’t prevent Robinson from playing a big role tonight.
In fact, Robinson’s playing time in Game 6 (and/or Game 7) could increase, especially if the Celtics keep leaning on their only traditional big: 7-foot-2 center Luke Kornet.
The latter — who played less than 18 minutes combined in Games 3 and 4 — logged nearly 26 minutes on Wednesday. He came through for Boston in a huge way, with 10 points, 9 rebounds, 7 blocks, 1 assist and 1 steal. Expect Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau to keep Robinson on the floor while Kornet is in action, which is all the more reason to like Robinson’s props tonight.
Assuming he once again plays for close to 25 minutes, he’s a great bet to pull down at least 8 rebounds. While his playoff minutes have fluctuated — especially in the first round against the Pistons — he’s averaging an impressive 13.4 total rebounds per 36 minutes in the postseason (7.4 offensive, 6.0 defensive).
To add a bit of context here, Houston’s Steven Adams led the league in both total rebounds per 36 minutes (14.8) and offensive rebounds per 36 minutes (7.5) in the regular season — with no one else leaguewide averaging over 6 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes — and Robinson’s total and offensive rebounding rate in the playoffs compare well to Adams’.
With all that in mind, consider a small play on M. Robinson 10+ Rebounds (+245 at DraftKings).
Celtics vs. Knicks Game 6 Pick, Best Bets
This is one of the toughest games of the playoffs to predict. The spread of less than 3 points tells us that oddsmakers agree with us on that.
While it seems like a bad idea to pick against Brunson and the Knicks, especially if you expect this to be decided in the final minutes, Boston is coming off a dominant performance in Game 5.
If the Celtics’ shots are falling tonight, would it really shock anyone if they’re able to keep NY at arm’s length?
With all due respect to the Knicks, who are suddenly the team under the most pressure now that the Celtics are playing from behind and without Tatum, I’m ultimately going with Boston to find a way to force a Game 7 for two reasons:
- A) The Celtics looked like the better team in Game 6 (not just based on the scoreboard), as they zeroed in on Brown-on-Brunson as an effective defensive solution and attacking Towns every time they could on offense.
- B) I have a foolproof (or something like that) strategy of going with the underdog on the moneyline when a matchup truly feels like a coin flip.
Celtics vs. Knicks Game 6 Best Bets:
- Celtics moneyline (+120 at DK, FD) — 0.5 units
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