Who Will Win Celtics vs. Knicks? Series Odds, AI Prediction & Preview for 2025 NBA Playoffs

We're breaking down the latest odds and predictions for this second-round series between longtime Eastern Conference rivals.

C Jackson Cowart

Last updated: May 2, 2025 4:00 PM EDT • 4 min read

Celtics vs. Knicks Series Odds, AI Prediction & Preview: 2025 NBA Playoffs Round 2 — Pictured: New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) looks to drive past Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7). Photo by Wendell Cruz / Imagn Images.

The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks will meet in the NBA playoffs for the first time in 12 years with their second-round series tipping off Monday from TD Garden.

Boston is a heavy betting favorite by the latest Celtics vs. Knicks series odds to clinch its fourth consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearance, while New York is looking to advance past the second round for the first time since 2000.

Here's a look at the latest Celtics vs. Knicks odds, along with our AI prediction and preview for this Round 2 matchup in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

📊 Celtics vs. Knicks series odds

Here are the latest Celtics vs. Knicks odds via BetMGM, including the series spread and each team's exact odds to win the series by game number.

Market	Celtics	Knicks
Series winner	-800	+550
Series spread	-2.5 (-110)	+2.5 (-110)
To win in 4 games	+325	+6600
To win in 5 games	+200	+3500
To win in 6 games	+400	+1400
To win in 7 games	+400	+1100

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🤖 Celtics vs. Knicks AI prediction

We asked the latest and most advanced model of ChatGPT to predict the winner of Celtics vs. Knicks using OpenAI's "Deep Research" function - which utilizes real-time search access to scan immense amounts of historical data, trends, and the latest stats and news for each team.

Here's what AI predicts will happen in this second-round series:

📝 Celtics vs. Knicks series preview

The Celtics enter this series not just as favorites but as a well-oiled machine that has consistently exposed the Knicks’ weaknesses all season. Boston swept the regular-season series 4-0, largely by overwhelming New York’s defense with efficient, balanced scoring. Jayson Tatum torched the Knicks for 33.5 points per game on 53.5% shooting, while Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis took turns exploiting mismatches.

The Celtics’ top-five defense will now hone in on Jalen Brunson, who carried New York through the first round but will face much stiffer resistance from Boston’s perimeter stoppers, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. Even if Brunson continues his playoff heroics, the Knicks’ secondary scorers - OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns - must drastically outperform their tepid regular-season efforts against Boston. That’s a tall order against a Celtics team that not only limits opponents’ efficiency but rarely beats itself, ranking among the NBA’s best in turnover rate and defensive rebounding.

For New York to have a real chance, it'll need to grind the game to a halt, control the glass, and hope Towns can stretch Boston’s bigs away from the rim to open driving lanes. The Knicks' best hope lies in slowing the Celtics’ pace and turning this into a physical, half-court slugfest. But even then, the Celtics’ versatility and depth - boasting one of the league’s most productive benches - should keep them comfortably ahead.

🎯 Celtics vs. Knicks AI pick & best bet

Prediction: Celtics in five. The Knicks’ rise has been impressive, but Boston’s championship pedigree and matchup dominance should carry the Celtics back to the Eastern Conference Finals with minimal turbulence.

✅ Best odds: +220 via FanDuel

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📅 Celtics vs. Knicks series schedule

Game 1: Monday, May 5 @ TBD (TD Garden)
Game 2: Wednesday, May 7 @ TBD (TD Garden)
Game 3: Saturday, May 10 @ TBD (Madison Square Garden)
Game 4: Monday, May 12 @ TBD (Madison Square Garden)
Game 5: Wednesday, May 14 @ TBD (TD Garden)*
Game 6: Friday, May 16 @ TBD (Madison Square Garden)*
Game 7: Monday, May 19 @ TBD (TD Garden)*

* = if necessary

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Written By:
C Jackson Cowart

C Jackson Cowart is a publishing editor and lead writer for Sportsbook Review. An award-winning writer, reporter, and editor with a decade of sports media experience, "C-Jax" has worked with ESPN, Forbes, theScore, and various daily newspapers before joining the Sportsbook Review team. He's a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina, where he served as a beat writer for the Tar Heels' championship run through the NCAA men's basketball tournament in 2017. Jackson has spent the last five years covering sports betting as a predictive analyst, features writer, and industry reporter. Since joining the team in 2023, he's played a key role in Sportsbook Review's coverage of the Super Bowl, March Madness, and NBA playoffs while serving as the lead writer for the growing WNBA and NASCAR betting scenes. Though he's cashed some big bets over the years -- including Lamar Jackson to win MVP (twice) -- he's still haunted by enough second-place bet slips to wallpaper his home office. While Jackson is a committed "process over results" bettor with a keen eye for advanced stats and subtle bias in futures markets, he also embraces sports betting as a vehicle for entertainment and personal investment. He's written about everything from hot dogs to groundhogs and still hasn't forgiven his "inside source" for a sabotaged bet on the Gatorade color in Super Bowl LV.