The Boston Celtics face a must-win situation as they head to Madison Square Garden trailing 0-2 to the New York Knicks in their Eastern Conference Semifinal series.
Despite building 20-point leads in both home games, Boston has watched the resilient Knicks storm back for consecutive one-point victories, raising serious questions about the heavily-favored Celtics' ability to close out games.
With Boston's historically reliable three-point shooting ice cold at just 25% in the series, Game 3 represents a critical turning point that will either vault the Knicks toward a stunning upset or allow the Celtics to reclaim their championship aspirations.
New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics prediction: who will win?
For tonight's New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics matchup, our predictive model gives the Celtics a 72.25% chance of defeating the Knicks.
Boston Celtics: 72.25% win probability
- Elite defensive efficiency (Only 8787 points allowed all season, lowest in the league)
- Exceptional regular season performance (61 wins ranks 2nd overall in NBA)
- Strong current form (WWLWW in last five games showing momentum)
New York Knicks: 27.75% win probability
- Inconsistent recent performance (WLLLW showing vulnerability in crucial stretch)
- Scoring differential concerns (336 point differential compared to Boston's 747)
- Defensive limitations (9158 points allowed vs Boston's league-best 8787)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model brings together insights from top NBA experts. Instead of searching through countless expert analyses online, you can rely on our predictions to capture the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing expert picks, data, and trends, while our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. These confidence levels are then averaged to generate an 'expert opinion' win probability—providing a data-driven reflection of the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NBA analysts.
New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics odds
Here are the current odds for the NBA matchup between the Boston Celtics and the home team New York Knicks on Saturday, May 10.
| New York Knicks | Boston Celtics | |
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | +210 (via Caesars Sportsbook) | -230 (via DraftKings Sportsbook) |
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New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics preview
The Knicks have stunned the basketball world by seizing a commanding 2-0 series lead over the top-seeded Celtics, orchestrating back-to-back comebacks from 20-point deficits in Boston.
Madison Square Garden will be electric Saturday afternoon as New York looks to push the desperate Celtics to the brink of elimination.
Boston's vaunted three-point attack has gone ice-cold, shooting a dismal 25% from deep in the series – well below their season average of 36.8%.
While Josh Hart (23 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (21 points, 17 rebounds) powered the Knicks' Game 2 victory, Jayson Tatum's struggles continued with just 13 points on 5-of-19 shooting.
The Celtics, who swept the regular season series against New York, now face what amounts to a must-win scenario – no NBA team has ever overcome a 3-0 playoff deficit.
Coach Thibodeau's Knicks have embraced a gritty, physical style that's frustrated Boston, with defensive stalwarts OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Hart suffocating the Celtics' normally fluid offense.
Key stats
- 1The Celtics (61-21) rank 2nd in the Eastern Conference with an impressive .744 win percentage.
- 2New York (51-31) sits 3rd in the East, 10 games behind Boston in the standings.
- 3Boston's offensive/defensive balance stands out with 9,534 points scored versus 8,787 allowed (+747).
- 4The teams show contrasting recent form: Boston comes in hot (WWLWW) while New York has been inconsistent (WLLLW).
New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics form
New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics head to head
New York Knicks
40%
Boston Celtics
60%
May 10, 2025
New York Knicks
0 : 0
Boston Celtics
May 7, 2025
Boston Celtics
90 : 91
New York Knicks
May 5, 2025
Boston Celtics
105 : 108
New York Knicks
Apr 8, 2025
New York Knicks
117 : 119
Boston Celtics
Feb 23, 2025
Boston Celtics
118 : 105
New York Knicks
Feb 9, 2025
New York Knicks
104 : 131
Boston Celtics
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