New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics Picks and Predictions for Friday October 23 2026
Somebody’s starting the season 0-2, and neither New York nor Boston expected to be in that position. The Knicks lost their opener to Philadelphia, 106-100. Boston went to Detroit, led by 13 at halftime, and somehow ended up losing 121-113. I watched those numbers and kept coming back to the same thought. How does a team score 58 points in the first half, then manage 55 in the second? That’s what Boston did.
Now the Knicks are coming to town. Nothing like a game against New York to make a bad week in Boston feel worse. The Knicks visit TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, on Friday, October 23, 2026. Tipoff is at 7:00 PM ET on Prime Video. Boston are favored by 2.5 points, and the total is 223.5. The Celtics are around -135 on the moneyline. Our free NBA picks have the rest of Friday’s games covered.
New York Knicks Didn’t Get Much Going Against Philadelphia
New York are 0-1 after losing 106-100 to the 76ers on Tuesday. A hundred points. That’s all the defending champions could manage in their first game back. Philadelphia weren’t exactly brilliant offensively either, but they did enough. The Knicks had opportunities to make it close and couldn’t find the baskets they needed. Not the sort of opening night anybody at Madison Square Garden had in mind.
I wouldn’t read too much into one poor shooting night, though. New York have players who can score, and Boston’s defense wasn’t particularly impressive in Detroit. The Celtics gave up 76 points after halftime. Seventy-six. If the Knicks can get into the paint and make Boston defend without fouling, they should find better opportunities than they had against Philadelphia. I’d also expect New York to attack the offensive glass. Those extra possessions could matter in a game with a small spread.
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Jalen Brunson is still the man New York turn to when they need a basket. Karl-Anthony Towns gives them scoring and rebounding inside, while OG Anunoby will have plenty of defensive work to do against Boston’s wings. The Knicks need their main players to settle down after Tuesday’s defeat. I don’t expect another hundred-point performance, although Boston are capable of making things difficult when they’re defending properly.
Boston Celtics Let A Good Lead Get Away
Boston are 0-1 after losing 121-113 at Detroit on Tuesday. They led 58-45 at halftime and looked comfortable enough. Then the Pistons started scoring, and Boston couldn’t stop them. Detroit put up 76 points in the second half. The Celtics managed 55. That’s an ugly turnaround, particularly for a team with Boston’s experience.
Paul George scored 38 points and hit seven three-pointers. Boston made 17 threes altogether, so it wasn’t as though they couldn’t shoot. The problem was defending when Detroit started attacking. The Celtics couldn’t get enough stops, and the lead disappeared. New York will have seen that. The Knicks aren’t going to be shy about getting the ball inside, and Boston will have to deal with Towns as well as Brunson. If the Celtics defend like they did after halftime Tuesday, they’re going to have another difficult evening.
George was terrific in Detroit, but Boston can’t expect seven threes from him every game. Derrick White scored 17, and Jayson Tatum finished with 13 points and 11 assists. Tatum missed all seven of his three-point attempts. He’ll probably shoot better Friday. Boston need him to. They also need somebody to take charge defensively when the opposition starts making a run. That was missing in Detroit, and it cost them.
New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics Picks and Predictions
New York Knicks +2.5 (-110)
I’ll take the Knicks with the points. Boston are at home, and I’d be surprised if Tatum shot that badly again. George has already shown he can put up a big number. But I’m not convinced the Celtics should be favored after what happened in Detroit. New York only scored 100 against Philadelphia, which is the worry here, but Brunson and Towns are capable of much better. I expect the Knicks to make this a physical game and attack Boston inside. Two and a half points might not sound like much, but in a game I think could go either way, I’ll take them.
Under 223.5 (-110)
I’m going under. New York scored 100 in its opener, and Boston have just spent a couple of days hearing about the 76 points they conceded in one half. I’d expect the Celtics to put more effort into defending, especially at home. The Knicks aren’t likely to get into a running contest with Boston if they can help it. They’ll want to use Towns inside, let Brunson work, and keep the game under control. Both teams have enough talent to score 120, so there’s some risk. I just don’t think Friday turns into that sort of game. New York 110, Boston 108.
Final Picks: New York Knicks +2.5 (-110) and Under 223.5 (-110)
This preview was completed October 22, 2026. Betting lines, injuries, and starting lineups may change before tipoff.
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