2025 NBA odds, predictions: Back Cavaliers in 5 over Pacers

As the first round of the NBA playoffs winds down, the Eastern Conference semifinals have been solidified. 

The Knicks rallied late to defeat the Pistons in Game 6. They erased a seven-point lead in the final minutes, winning on a Jalen Brunson 3-pointer. The Knicks won the series 4-2. This was a strange series that saw the road team win the last five games, and the Pistons had a fourth-quarter lead in all six games, despite losing the series. 

The Knicks will now face the defending champion Boston Celtics. This series tips off on Monday, and the Knicks are as high as 6-1 underdogs at some sportsbooks. 

New York hopes this postseason meeting goes better than the four regular-season meetings between the two teams, considering the Celtics swept the Knicks, winning by an average of 16.3 points per game. 

The winner of that series will take on the winner of what should be a fun and exciting matchup between the Indiana Pacers and top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the other Eastern Conference semifinal. 

From a betting perspective, the Cavaliers — like the Celtics — are heavy favorites. 

A $5 bet on the Cavaliers to win the series would only net just $1 in winnings. The regular-season meetings between these teams might give Pacers fans some hope, though, as Indiana went 3-1 in the four games. However, two of those games were late in the season, when the Cavaliers had already clinched home-court advantage and did not play some of their key players. 

This series won't lack excitement. Both teams play at a fast pace, and both teams light up the scoreboard. The Cavs score 122.1 points per game (first in the league), and the Pacers score 117.4 points per game (seventh in the league). 

Both teams also profile as small(ish) in terms