The Boston Celtics will be striving to keep their playoff hopes alive when they face the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals this Wednesday. After securing a significant lead in the series at 3-1 with their recent win of 121-113, the Knicks (51-31) aim to advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2000 and seek to beat Boston in a postseason series for the first time since 2013.

Celtics’ Challenge: The Celtics (61-21), the reigning NBA champions, are aiming to reach the conference finals for the fourth consecutive year but will be without star player Jayson Tatum, who is sidelined due to an Achilles injury from late in Game 4.

Game Details: The match is set for 7 p.m. ET at TD Garden in Boston. In previous playoff series, these teams have historically been closely matched, having split 14 series encounters. Recently, DraftKings Sportsbook has the Celtics favored by 4.5 points, with an over/under set at 208 total points.

Key Players: With Tatum’s absence, shooting guard Jaylen Brown will be tasked with leading the team, averaging 21.9 points and 7.1 rebounds in nine playoff games. His performance will be crucial, especially coming off a 20-point effort in Game 4.

Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson of the Knicks has been a key player, having recorded 39 points and 12 assists in Game 4. Both teams are looking to capitalize on their strengths as they aim to secure a win, making every prediction critical at this stage of the playoffs.

Making Picks: SportsLine’s projection model has simulated the game 10,000 times, leaning towards the total points being over. For more detailed predictions, visit SportsLine to see in-depth betting options and insights.