Knicks vs. Celtics NBA Playoffs: Betting Odds, Series Prediction, and Best Bets

For the first time since 2013 -- and just the third time since 1990 -- the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks will meet up in the postseason.

It's the matchup we've been waiting for, and it all tips off on Monday.

This past offseason, New York made concerted efforts to build a lineup that could match up with Boston, including bringing in Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. Will that help them advance to the team's first conference finals since 2000, or will the defending champs prove too much to handle?

Let's break down this Knicks-Celtics series and highlight the best series bets.

All NBA betting odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Knicks vs. Celtics Series Betting Odds

As much as we'd love a long and competitive series, the Celtics are heavy -770 favorites to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Boston's odds were all the way down at -1000 last night before some money came in on New York.

The series over/under is set at 5.5 games with +100 odds on the over. How should we bet this series?

Best Bet for Knicks vs. Celtics NBA Playoff Series

Jayson Tatum Series Most Total Rebounds (+300)

I don't think anyone is more excited for this series than Jayson Tatum -- the Knicks are his favorite team to play against.

Tatum averaged 33.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 7.0 assists on 53.5% FG% and 47.8% 3P% against New York this season. That helped Boston go 4-0 against New York, and the C's flashed a gaudy +65 point differential in this matchup.

Boston's frontman is an intriguing bet to lead this series in points, rebounds, or assists. Ultimately, I see the most value in the rebound market.

Tatum led the Celtics in boards in 35 out of 72 games this season. More importantly, he paced the team in rebounds in 15 out of 23 games when all the starters were healthy, and no other player did so more than twice in this split. Coming off a first-round series where he averaged 11.3 rebounds and led the team in each game, I'm not scared of in-team competition in this market.

As for the Knicks, they have three top rebounding candidates in Towns, Mitchell Robinson, and Josh Hart. The problem? They will all be competing for the same defensive boards.

Robinson led the team in rebounds per minute in the first round but doesn't see enough floor time to even be listed in this market. That creates the perfect scenario for Tatum -- Robinson figures to steal rebound chances from KAT and Hart without proving as an overall threat to Tatum.

Plus, Robinson could get a bit more run this series as the Celtics are a top-six rebounding team and likely won't employ the same hack-a-Mitch method that Detroit did in round one.

Hart (+480) is an intriguing option at his odds, but his rebounding numbers have been down ever since Robinson returned from injury. With enticing +300 odds available for this bet, I like Tatum to come out on top in this market.

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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.