The No. 3 seed New York Knicks will try to take a commanding 3-0 lead over the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics when they meet in Game 3 of their second-round Eastern Conference playoff series on Saturday afternoon. New York stunned Boston with a pair of comeback wins on the road to open the series. The Knicks trailed by 20 points in both games, but Mikal Bridges capped off both comebacks with game-ending steals. Teams that win the first two games of a best-of-seven series on the road win the series 85.7% of the time, but Boston will have something to say as the defending champion.
Tipoff from Madison Square Garden in New York is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. The Celtics are 5.5-point favorites in the latest Knicks vs. Celtics odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 206.5. Boston is at -243 on the money line (risk $243 to win $100), while New York is priced at +199 (risk $100 to win $199). Before making any Celtics vs. Knicks picks, check out the NBA predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters the conference semifinals of the 2025 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 159-116 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, including a 3-0 mark in the playoffs, returning nearly $4,000. It is also 23-11 (68%) on top-rated NBA against-the-spread picks this season. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
Now, the model has simulated Knicks vs. Celtics 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NBA picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and NBA betting lines for Celtics vs. Knicks:
- Knicks vs. Celtics spread: Boston -5.5 at DraftKings
- Knicks vs. Celtics over/under: 206.5 points
- Knicks vs. Celtics money line: Boston -243, New York +199
- NY: The Knicks are 7-4 against the spread in their last 11 games
- BOS: The Celtics are 17-3 in their last 20 road games
- Knicks vs. Celtics picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Knicks vs. Celtics streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Knicks can cover
New York is going to be playing in front of a raucous crowd on Saturday, especially since the Knicks can take a commanding 3-0 series lead. They have shown tremendous resilience to open this series, erasing a pair of 20-point deficits. Jalen Brunson scored 17 points for New York on Wednesday, including a pair of free throws with 12.7 seconds remaining.
Bridges came up with the game-sealing play on the defensive end for the second game in a row, and he scored all 14 of his points in the fourth quarter. Josh Hart had 23 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 17 rebounds. The Celtics have shot a combined 25-of-100 from 3-point range in the first two games of the series. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why the Celtics can cover
The bad news for Boston is that it has been unable to close the first two games, but the good news is that the Celtics were able to build 20-point leads in both games. They missed 13 consecutive shots during an eight-minute stretch in the fourth quarter on Wednesday, and star Jayson Tatum was limited to 13 points on 5-of-19 shooting. The Celtics shot 36.8% from 3-point range during the regular season, so their perimeter shooting should improve.
Derrick White and Jaylen Brown each scored 20 points in Game 2, while Tatum grabbed 14 rebounds for a double-double. Kristaps Porzingis, who averaged nearly 20 points per game during the regular season, was limited to 14 minutes in Game 2 (illness). He is expected to play in some capacity on Saturday in what is a must-win game for Boston. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Knicks vs. Celtics picks
SportsLine’s model has simulated Celtics vs. Knicks 10,000 times and is leaning Over the total, projecting 210 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s NBA picks.
So who wins Knicks vs. Celtics, and which side of the spread cashes in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Celtics vs. Knicks spread to back, all from the model that has returned well over $10,000 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
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