3 Best NBA Bets and Player Props for Knicks vs. Celtics in Game 2 of the Playoffs

The NBA playoffs are here, and even within a single game, betting markets are abundant.

You can bet traditional markets like the spread or the total, but we've also got tons of player-prop markets to sift through.

Which bets stand out today as the New York Knicks face the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs?

Let's dig into the best bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA betting odds, utilizing FanDuel Research's NBA projections to try to find value.

Knicks at Celtics Game 2 Betting Picks

Celtics Over 111.5 Points (-105)

As nine-point underdogs in Game 1, the Knicks managed to come back from 20 points down, pulling off a 108-105 win in overtime. Frankly, this felt fluky as the Celtics scored only 16 points in the fourth quarter. The market hasn't been influenced by the series-opening result with Boston favored by 10.5 points for tonight.

After appearing for only 13 minutes in Game 1, Kristaps Porzingis (illness) is probable to return tonight. While he's totaling only 10.0 points per game (PPG) in the playoffs, Porzingis' 19.5 PPG from the regular season can't be completely ignored. At bare minimum, Porzingis should at least help the Celtics' spacing on offense.

With that said, I expect improved numbers from this unit in Game 2. The series opener was one to forget as Boston shot 35.1% from the field and 15 of 60 from three-point land. While shooting 25.0% from three isn't a winning formula, giving the Celtics this many looks from deep is playing with fire.

Boston shot 36.7% from three in the regular season (10th-highest). Considering the Celtics have a 44.4% three-point shot frequency in the postseason (third-highest among active teams), New York's perimeter defense could be in big trouble if this keeps up.

Over four regular-season matchups, Boston averaged 122.0 PPG against the Knicks. With improved defense across the board, this is naturally going to come down in the playoffs. However, Game 1's 100-point mark in regulation was a bit drastic. What are the chances that the Celtics shoot only 25.0% from three while mustering up only 16 points in the fourth? I'll take my chances on positive regression; give me over 111.5 points.

Jrue Holiday to Make 2+ Threes (-122)

We've seen some playoff regression from several of Boston's three-point shooters, including Derrick White dropping from 38.3% to 34.5% and Porzingis sliding from 41.2% to 11.8%. Jrue Holiday is not one of those players as he's draining 35.7% of his three-point looks compared to 35.3% in the regular season.

While Holiday has made only three playoff appearances so far, he's made at least two three-pointers in two of those games. Looking back to 2024's postseason run, Holiday totaled 1.8 made three-pointers per contest while shooting 40.2% from deep.

Holiday is a player you can bank on during the postseason, and he's a solid find to take advantage of those 60 team three-point attempts from Game 1. Furthermore, he's drawing a matchup against Jalen Brunson -- who had New York's highest defensive rating among the starting lineup in the regular season (116.9). Brunson has remained a potential defensive target in the playoffs, sporting the Knicks' second-highest defensive rating (111.4).

Jalen Brunson Over 26.5 Points (-114)

We picked on Brunson's defense, but the Knicks will gladly take it considering his contribution to the offense. Brunson and the playoffs go together like peanut butter and jelly. Just like a classic PB&J, I'll keep coming back for more Brunson exposure in the postseason.

In Game 1, he posted 29 points. That follows his 31.5 PPG over six games against the Detroit Pistons. Dating back to last postseason, Brunson has racked up 32.0 PPG over a 20-game sample size. I'm willing to hang my hat on Brunson's 34.1% usage rate in the playoffs paired with 24.8 field goal attempts and 9.0 free throw attempts per game.

Making five of nine three-point shots (55.6%) played a big role in Brunson's strong scoring performance to open this series. The Celtics gave up 7.5 three-point shots per game against Brunson over four regular-season matchups -- which was well over his 6.1 per-game average. His three-point volume is way up to 7.7 attempts per contest in the postseason, too.

High usage in the playoffs paired with three-point success against Boston certainly points to more high numbers from Brunson.

You can also check out our latest 2025 NBA Playoffs printable bracket, which includes the seeding and matchups for each conference.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.