Knicks vs. Celtics Prediction Tonight: Game 1 Odds & Expert Picks

Check out our Knicks vs. Celtics prediction, odds, and expert picks for Game 1 for the NBA playoffs.

Isaiah Sirois

Last updated: May 5, 2025 4:55 PM EDT • 4 min read

Knicks vs. Celtics Prediction. — Pictured: Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum moves the ball past Orlando Magic guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Photo by Nathan Ray Seebeck via Imagn Images.

The Boston Celtics will look to keep their winning ways intact against the New York Knicks tonight at 7 p.m. ET (TNT) from TD Garden. Our Knicks vs. Celtics prediction breaks down why Boston is so heavily favored to open the series with a win - its moneyline odds of -400 imply an 80% chance of victory.

We're diving into the key betting odds, trends, and expert picks to know for Game 1 of this NBA playoffs matchup. Boston went 4-0 against New York in the regular season, including two home wins by an average margin of 18 points, which is why we're all over the Celtics as part of our NBA picks.

💰 Knicks vs. Celtics expert picks for Game 1

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✅ Against the spread pick: Celtics -9 (-110 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐
✅ Moneyline pick: Celtics ML (-380 via DraftKings) ⭐
✅ Over/Under pick: Over 212 (-110 via Fanatics) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

🏀 Game 1 prediction & best bet

🎯 Score prediction: Celtics 115, Knicks 102

This year’s Celtics aren’t quite as efficient as last year’s, but they have had the Knicks’ number. Last season, Boston led the NBA in net rating (+11.7) with the league’s most efficient offense (122.2). This season, they ranked second in both metrics (+9.4 and 119.5). Still, that was good enough for a 4-0 season sweep of the Knicks.

The opening round of the playoffs was encouraging for both sides of this matchup. The Celtics overcame some injury concerns in a gentleman’s sweep of the Orlando Magic, while the Knicks outlasted a challenge from the Detroit Pistons and scored a trio of wins on the road, thanks to huge performances from Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson.

While previous versions of the Knicks have been known for their impressive defensive performances, that doesn’t hold for this one. The Knicks were ninth in defensive rating last year (112.4) and regressed to 13th this year (113.3). New York’s ability to limit opposing teams’ offensive output stemmed more from a slower pace, which the team increased from 95.9 to 97.6 this regular season.

The Knicks and Celtics met four times in the regular season in games that saw final totals of 241, 235, 223, and 236. I will freely admit that playoff basketball is different, both in pace and defensive intensity, but the total of 212.5 or so certainly feels lower than it should be, especially with a well-rested Boston team having accounted for the majority of the scoring in all four contests.

I suspect that head coach Joe Mazzulla will look to establish a slightly faster pace tonight after the last series against Orlando saw the Magic force a slower one. Let’s lock in the Over 212 at Fanatics for the half-point discount relative to the rest of the market as we hope for another high-scoring game from Boston and New York.

✅ Best bet: Over 212 (-110 via Fanatics)

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📈 Knicks vs. Celtics odds

Live updated odds from our best sports betting sites.

🪧 Game 1 opening odds

Opening odds via BetMGM.

Spread: Knicks +8.5 (-105) | Celtics -8.5 (-115)
Moneyline: Knicks +300 | Celtics -400
Over/Under: Over 213 (-110) | Under 213 (-110)

🚑 Knicks vs. Celtics injury report

Follow the official NBA injury report for more injury news.

💡 More NBA expert picks

📡 How to watch Knicks vs. Celtics live tonight (Game 1)

📅 Monday, May 5
🕗 7 p.m. ET
📍 TD Garden (Boston)
📺 TNT, truTV | 🛜 Max

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Written By:
Isaiah Sirois

Isaiah Sirois is a Sports Betting Analyst at Sportsbook Review specializing in basketball, motorsports, and football. He uses a wide variety of analytical tools to identify value on event-specific markets, and you can always find his columns stuffed to the brim with data. Basketball is Isaiah’s favorite sport to handicap, and he has covered NBA, WNBA, NCAA, Olympic, and FIBA markets for Sportsbook Review and other sites. However, Isaiah’s favorite sport to follow is auto racing, and you can usually find him watching NASCAR or IndyCar most weekends. He will be a fan of Team Penske and Ford Performance until the end of time. Isaiah graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Emory University and is currently attending Vanderbilt Law School.