Celtics vs. Knicks prediction, odds, schedule for 2025 NBA Playoffs second round series

The Knicks spent the offseason trying to build the perfect team to take down the Celtics. They loaded up on good defensive wings to slow down Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, added a stretch big man who could pull Kristaps Porzingis away from the basket, and built a dynamic offense to keep pace with the Celtics' 3-point barrages. 

None of that mattered during the regular season. The Celtics had the Knicks' number, winning all four of their matchups.

Boston is not the only winning team that Tom Thibodeau's squad struggled against in the regular season.  The Knicks were just 15-23 against teams above .500, a reminder that grit doesn't always get the edge against talent.

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Those struggles (along with the Celtics home court advantage) are going to make the Knicks sizeable underdogs in this series. New York may have an extra gear, though. They beat a quality opponent in the Pistons to make it through to the second round.

MORE: Updated NBA Playoffs schedule

Celtics vs. Knicks prediction

New York does have some avenues to pull off an upset. The Celtics aren't at full health, and they have not looked as good this season as they did last year along the road to the NBA title.

Mitchell Robinson could end up being an X-factor in this series. He was available only for the last meeting between these two teams, where the Knicks kept it close. He gives the Knicks some size when the Celtics go to their lineups of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford. Robinson also gives the Knicks much better rim protection than Karl-Anthony Towns. 

New York will need to try everything they can to see what works against a great Celtics team. Josh Hart is a streaky shooter. If he can find confidence in his shot as he did during the middle of last year's playoffs, then it creates even more pathways for New York to win. If Hart won't shoot, then Deuce McBride might play a bigger role.

Payton Pritchard could be the swing player in this series for Boston. The NBA's Sixth Man winner was played off the floor during last year's playoffs. He's improved as a defender, but the Knicks will still target him every time he's out there, trying to get Jalen Brunson in that favorable matchup. If Pritchard can hold up, then his scoring ability is going to be tough to deal with. 

The Knicks aren't drawing dead in this series, but the Celtics are favored for a reason. They have a better defense, more firepower, better depth, and championship experience.

The Knicks have too many weak points defensively, and the Celtics have scoring at every single position. New York had its hands full stopping Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren pick-and-rolls. Boston will give them an even tougher challenge. 

The Knicks should take a few games, but the Celtics will probably move on to face the Cavs in the Conference Finals. 

Prediction: Celtics in 6

Celtics vs. Knicks betting odds

This section will be updated once betting odds are released.

Celtics vs. Knicks regular season series

The Celtics won all four regular season matchups against the Knicks this season. The Knicks did make it at least close in that final matchup, taking the game into overtime. 

• Oct. 22, 2024: Celtics 132, Knicks 109
• Feb. 8, 2025: Celtics 131, Knicks 104
• Feb. 23, 2025: Celtics 118, Knicks 105
• April 8, 2025: Celtics 119, Knicks 117 (OT)

These teams matched up in the first NBA game of the season, which turned out to be a snoozer. The Celtics left Hart wide open all game, and the Knicks couldn't figure out how to counter effectively. 

MORE: Knicks have a Josh Hart problem: How opening night exposed an ongoing weak point in New York's offense

The second game wasn't much closer. Tatum scored 40 and the Celtics won despite missing Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. Boston also led comfortably for most of their third matchup, taking in down by 13. 

The final matchup featured some big shotmaking. Tatum hit a 3 with 2.9 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, and Porzingis hit a 30-foot bomb in overtime that ended up deciding the outcome. 

Celtics vs. Knicks key storyline: Which team can play through the pain better?

At full strength, the Celtics should win this series pretty comfortably. But Brown is dealing with knee issues that have made him less effective on both ends of the floor this season. He has had some huge performances, such as his 36 points in Game 2 of the first round with Tatum missing. The consistency hasn't been there though. 

Tatum took a hard fall to his wrist early in that series. He managed to play very well after returning for Game 3. He's been off the injury report, but that bone bruise is going to take a while to fully heal. 

Jrue Holiday has also been fighting a hamstring injury that kept him out of the last three games. 

The Knicks are dealing with their own aches and pains too. Brunson has been laboring through multiple games due to a nagging right ankle that kept him out of 15 games toward the end of the regular season. 

Both of these teams feature stars that are willing to play through pain. Whichever one of them can do it better will end up advancing to the Conference Finals. 

Celtics vs. Knicks schedule

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