Knicks vs. Celtics Prediction: Can Jrue Holiday Step Up in Game 1 Against Knicks?
The Boston Celtics ran over the Orlando Magic in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, and will now face an old rival in the New York Knicks. Can Jrue Holiday jump start the Celtics' campaign to return to the Eastern Conference Champion with a strong performance in Game 1 tonight? Adam Ronis breaks down this Knicks vs. Celtics showdown and provides his top prop pick for Knicks vs. Celtics.
Adam Ronis - May 5, 2025, 2:40 PM EDT
5 minKnicks vs. Celtics Prediction: Can Jrue Holiday Step Up in Game 1 Against Knicks?
The Celtics kick off the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs on Monday night against the Knicks as they aim to reach the conference finals for the fourth consecutive season. Boston dominated the regular season series by winning all four games.
The Celtics won by an average of 16.3 points, including wins by 23 and 27 points. The teams last met on April 8 with Boston winning in overtime, 119-117. The Celtics averaged 21.3 three-pointers and shot 43.5% from three-point range against the Knicks this season.
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Knicks vs. Celtics Game 1 Odds
Knicks vs. Celtics Game 1 Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: Monday, May 5, 2025
- Game Time: 7:00 PM ET
- Where to Watch: TNT, truTV, Max
Click here for the latest Knicks vs. Celtics Odds
Knicks vs. Celtics Prediction
Jrue Holiday missed three games in the opening round against the Magic due to a hamstring injury and is off the injury report and good to go for Game 1. Holiday averaged 11.1 points and 3.9 assists in the regular season and averaged 30.6 minutes per game.
His points + assists prop of 12.5 is lower than his season average when he will play more minutes in the postseason, especially if the game stays competitive. Holiday had nine points and five assists in 33 minutes in Game 1 against the Magic, and 11 points and six assists in 36 minutes in Game 2.
Holiday tends to get open looks since opponents are so focused on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Kristaps Porzingis has been a nightmare for New York and Derrick White can light up teams from three-point range if he isn’t guarded closely. Holiday tends to take half of his shots from three-point range and if he’s efficient, he can score double-digits.
Holiday tends to guard Jalen Brunson in this matchup, so his defense is needed. In three games during the regular season against New York, Holiday had 16 points and three assists, 14 points and two assists and 18 points and four assists to easily go over the line set for tonight. In the two most competitive games, Holiday played 32 and 37 minutes.
The Knicks have struggled to defend point guards, and Holiday has gone over this line consistently when playing at least 30 minutes. In the last seven games that Holiday has played at least 30 minutes, the Celtics guard has 17, 14, 19, 18, 25, 27 and 19 points+assists.
Knicks vs. Celtics Prop Pick
- Pick: Jrue Holiday Over 12.5 Points + Assists (-120) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best price on Knicks vs. Celtics odds
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