Knicks vs. Celtics Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Playoffs Game 5

The New York Knicks have not made the Eastern Conference Finals since the 1999-00 season, but they have a chance to end that streak on Wednesday night.

New York has a 3-1 series lead over the Boston Celtics heading into Game 5 in Boston, and the C’s are set to be without a key part of their roster.

Superstar Jayson Tatum ruptured his Achilles in Game 4 when attempting to grab a loose ball, and now the C’s chances of making a title run for the second straight season seem to be done. Boston slipped from the No. 2 choice to win the Finals to the No. 7 choice (out of eight teams), sitting at +2500 after the Tatum injury and Game 4 loss.

Jayson Tatum today underwent successful surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon. No timetable is currently available for his return, but he is expected to make a full recovery. Further updates will be provided when appropriate. pic.twitter.com/TTXziFtMQB
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 13, 2025

Still, the C’s are favored to force a Game 6, but they’ve already lost two games at home to New York in this series.

The Knicks are a perfect 5-0 on the road in the playoffs, and they’re riding high after a massive second half led to a Game 4 win. Only 13 teams in NBA history have erased a 3-1 series deficit, and the defending champs are facing an uphill battle to join that exclusive list.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to bet on in the prop market and my prediction for Game 5.

Knicks vs. Celtics Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Knicks +4.5 (-112)
Celtics -4.5 (-108)

Moneyline

Knicks: +154
Celtics: -185

Total

207.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Knicks vs. Celtics How to Watch

Date: Wednesday, May 14
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Venue: TD Garden
How to Watch (TV): TNT
Series: Knicks lead 3-1

Knicks vs. Celtics Injury Reports

Knicks Injury Report

None to report

Celtics Injury Report

Sam Hauser – probable
Jayson Tatum – out

Knicks vs. Celtics Best NBA Prop Bets

New York Knicks Best NBA Prop Bet

Mikal Bridges OVER 14.5 Points (-110)

Mikal Bridges has been huge for the Knicks late in games in this series, scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter in Game 4 to help New York take a 3-1 series lead.

Now, Bridges is set as just 14.5 points in Game 5 after he shot 21 times and scored 23 points on Monday.

While Bridges’ scoring has been up and down in these playoffs and really all season, I think he may be undervalued at this number in Game 5. Bridges has taken at least 10 shots in nine of his 10 playoff games, and he’s put up 18 and 21-shot games in this series.

I expect the Knicks to lean on him again as they attempt to close out this series.

Boston Celtics Best NBA Prop Bet

Derrick White OVER 3.5 3-Pointers Made (-145)

With Tatum out, Derrick White is going to be called upon for an even bigger workload in Game 5.

White is averaging 19.8 points and 4.3 made 3-pointers per game in this series, attempting 11 or more shots from beyond the arc in three of his four games.

The Celtics guard shot the lights out in Game 4, hitting 6-of-11 attempts from downtown. With more shots to go around in this Boston offense with Tatum injured, White should benefit in a big way at home in Game 5.

Knicks vs. Celtics Prediction and Pick

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why the UNDER is the play on Wednesday night:

In the Knicks-Celtics Game 5, I toyed with the idea of backing New York to cover, but I actually think the best course of action in this game is to take the UNDER with Tatum out.

Boston’s offense should be significantly hindered without the All-NBA forward running the show, and the C’s and Knicks are two of the best defensive teams in the playoffs, ranking No. 2 (Boston) and No. 5 (New York) in defensive rating.

Prior to Game 4, the Knicks had an offensive rating of 101.4 in this series, which would have been the second-worst of any team in the playoffs. While New York bounced back in Game 4, things should get a little tougher in Game 5 in Boston.

Game 1 of this series cleared this total, but these teams went to overtime to make that happen. Then, Game 2 fell short of this number and Game 3 barely cleared it with 208 combined points.

Without Boston’s offensive engine on the floor, I could see this turning into a defensive slog – especially if the C’s want to stay in the game.

Pick: UNDER 207.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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