Boston Celtics vs New York Knicks Prediction, Preview and Odds - 05/16/2025

Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, Friday, May 16, 2025

Venue:  Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Celtics +2.5, Knicks -2.5; Over/Under:  209.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Celtics +2.5, Knicks -2.5; Over/Under:  210 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Celtics +2.5, Knicks -2.5; Over/Under:  210.5 points

Boston Celtics:  61-21 (1st place, Atlantic Division)

New York Knicks:  51-31 (2nd place, Atlantic Division)

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Boston Celtics:  6-4 last 10

New York Knicks:  6-4 last 10

The Celtics are entering the playoffs with a 61-21 record overall this season and they were 33-8 in their road games where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the New York Knicks. Derrick White led the team in points in that game with 34 while Jaylen Brown was next on the team with 26 points. Jaylen Brown led the team in assists in that game with 12 while Luke Kornet led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 52.4% from the field, 44.9% from 3-point range, and 65.4% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 116.3 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 107.2 PPG against them. The Celtics have an ATS record of 43-48-1 this season and their O/U record is 42-49-1.

The Knicks are entering the playoffs with a 51-31 record overall this season and they were 27-14 in their home games where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Boston Celtics. Josh Hart led the team in points in that game with 24 while Jalen Brunson was next on the team with 22 points. Jalen Brunson led the team in assists in that game with 6 while Mitchell Robinson led the team in rebounds with 13. They were 35.8% from the field, 40% from 3-point range, and 80% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 115.8 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 111.7 PPG against them. The Knicks have an ATS record of 47-45-1 this season and their O/U record is 47-44-2.

The current betting odds have the Knicks listed as a 2.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. This is game 6 of a 7 game series between the 2nd seeded Celtics and the 3rd seeded Knicks from the Eastern Conference for the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs. The Knicks are leading this series 3-2 after the Celtics won game 4 at home. The Celtics made it a 3-2 series lead for the Knicks with a 127-102 win over the Knicks in the 5th game of this series and the Celtics looked a lot better in that game. They were missing Jayson Tatum in that game who is now out for the rest of the season with an injury, but they looked a lot more like the team that won the championship last season. They struggled in the 1st half, but they pulled away in the 2nd half with a big effort. As good as they looked in that game, that was a desperate situation for them facing elimination at home without their best player so they were always going to throw everything they had at the Knicks in that game to keep their season alive, especially since they lost their other 2 home games in this series. Now this is going to be a much tougher game for them on the road off that win as they will still be missing Tatum, and now the Knicks are also going to be looking to bounce back here. The Knicks let game 5 get away from them in the 2nd half, but they have gone toe-to-toe with the Celtics all series even when the Celtics were healthy and the Knicks continue to find ways to win these games. Look for the Knicks to bounce back here as they bring their best effort to close out this series on their home court and take advantage of a banged up Celtics team. The best way to place a bet here is on the Knicks to cover the spread in this game. 

Celtics Knicks Prediction:  Our NBA Pick for Friday, May 16, 2025 (8:00 pm ET start time) is Knicks 113 Celtics 107.

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Boston Celtics: 13-6 ATS as an underdog. 14-7 ATS off a home win against a division rival. 5-2 ATS when facing elimination in a playoff series. 14-4 UNDER as a road underdog of 6 points or less. 6-1 UNDER when facing elimination in a playoff series.

New York Knicks: 11-19 ATS when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 70%). 0-3 ATS at home when attempting to close out a playoff series. 5-13 1H ATS in the second round of the playoffs. 22-13 UNDER at home when the line is +3 to -3. 9-5 UNDER at home when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 70%). 

Boston Celtics:  J. Tatum (PF) Out For Season - Lower Leg.

New York Knicks:  None.

“We did what was necessary to do what we needed to do to get it back to New York. You don’t get to pick the test that you have, you pick how you respond to them.” - Joe Mazzulla after his team’s win against the Knicks in game 5 of this series on Wednesday.

“They came out with a sense of urgency that we need.” - Jalen Brunson after their loss against the Celtics in game 5 of this series on Wednesday.

PG Derrick White

SG Jrue Holiday

SF Jaylen Brown

PF Al Horford

C Kristaps Porzingis

PG Jalen Brunson

SG Mikal Bridges

SF Josh Hart

PF OG Anunoby

C Karl-Anthony Towns

PPG: J. Tatum (26.8)

APG: J. Tatum (6)

Reb/G: J. Tatum (8.7)

PPG: J. Brunson (26)

APG: J. Brunson (7.3)

Reb/G: K. Towns (12.8)

Coaches:

Boston Celtics: Joe Mazzulla (3rd season)

New York Knicks: Tom Thibodeau (5th season)