- What: 2025 NBA Playoffs
- Who: Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks
- When: Now until a potential Game 7 on May 19
- How to watch: The series will be televised on ESPN and ABC
And then there were eight. After an exciting start to the NBA postseason, the next round is here and fans across the country are fired up to see which teams will advance. A series people can't stop talking about is the one between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. As you might have been able to guess, the Celtics are huge favorites vs New York in their 2025 playoffs series.
Will Boston be able to close the deal? That's what a lot of people think will happen, as the Celtics are looking quite impressive and they're trying to go on another deep run similar to how they did last campaign. Don't forget that Boston won the NBA Finals last year and this group is poised to put on another show. Will they be able to pull things off?
| Boston vs NY odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celtics to win | -900 | -900 | -900 |
| Knicks to win | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Over 5 games | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 5 games | -110 | -110 | -110 |
“Right now, the series is 0-0,” Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “It’s two good teams getting ready to play, and we have to be able to execute the process of winning at a high, high level. It’s the playoffs. There’s no one way that a series is supposed to go. You have to be ready to give the environment what it needs and do whatever it takes to win, for however long it takes.”
According to the best online sports betting sites, Boston holds incredible NBA playoffs betting odds for this one, as it has been set at -900. The Knicks are hoping to pull off an upset for the ages, but things aren't looking too likely there - New York has been given +600 odds. While we think the Knicks will be able to steal a game or two, we're going with the Celtics as our pick to win the series.
Jayson Tatum through 117 career playoff games:
☘️ 2,836 pts
☘️ 942 reb
☘️ 570 astThe only other players to record 2,800+ PTS, 900+ REB and 500+ AST through their first 117 playoff games?
LeBron James & Larry Bird. pic.twitter.com/pE2jHMwDfq— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2025
How many games will the Knicks vs. Celtics series last?
A big question a lot of people have on their minds is how many games will the Knicks vs. Celtics series last? Both of these teams are loaded with a ton of talent, there's no doubt about that. For Boston, there's no question that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the headlines, but Boston also features a ton of quality depth, which will be on full display.
As for the other squad, the Knicks want to do their best to make a statement. Jalen Brunson is one of the best shooters in the league and he's ready to get some revenge on Boston. That of course isn't going to be easy. New York as a whole knows that it's a major underdog in this series, but they're not scared of anything or anyone. The Knicks will go down giving it their all.
Jalen Brunson is shooting a combined 16/31 FG when guarded by Jrue Holiday or Jaylen Brown this season, per @nbastats. pic.twitter.com/XwTGt6E67x
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) May 5, 2025
“You can’t just do it with one guy, it takes a team," Mazzulla said on trying to guard Brunson. "It takes different matchups. It takes different coverages. But there’s got to be a level of physicality, a level of discipline, a level of attention on tendencies,” the Celtics coach said. “If you add up all the points, there are a number of points you can work to be disciplined and work to control."
So, how many games will the series end up going? It's tough to say. It really depends on how New York is able to handle Boston's mighty offense. Something tells us New York will be able to impress, but that Boston will end up closing things out in Game 6. We're going with Game 6 as our pick for the series to finish, which holds +330 odds.
Cleveland is expected to take down Indiana in the other Eastern Conference semifinal
While there's a ton of buzz surrounding Boston vs. New York, Cleveland is expected to take down Indiana in the other Eastern Conference semifinal. The Pacers are riding pretty high after they were able to take down Giannis Antetokounmpo recently. However, the Cavs are one of the top teams out there and they'll be ready to make a statement.
While the Cavs don't have great NBA Finals odds, it doesn't take away from the fact that they're no question a team that people need to be keeping a close eye on. Cleveland has what it takes to go on a deep run and make some noise over the next few weeks. Learn here how to bet on the NBA Finals.
We think that the Cavs are simply going to be too much for the Pacers in this matchup. We're going with the Cavs as our pick to win the series, and we think they'll be able to do so in five games. After that, Cleveland will then move on to the Eastern Conference Finals, where we think they'll be taking on Boston with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line. We'll see if things go down that way or not.
