The Boston versus New York rivalry renews Monday night when the Celtics host the Knicks in Game 1 of their second-round NBA playoff series at TD Garden.

It’s the first time since 1984 that the Celtcs and Knicks have met in the Eastern Conference semifinals or later. The C’s won that series in Game 7 thanks to Larry Bird, and experts are expecting another successful outcome for the Celtics 41 years later.

If the Knicks need any more motivation entering Game 1, they should look at the predictions for this series.

It’s very difficult to find anyone outside of die hard Knicks fans who think New York will eliminate the defending champs. In fact, some experts have said that the Knicks taking the series to a Game 6 would be a “win.”

There are a few reasons why the Celtics are such heavy favorites. For starters, they have the best player in the series in Jayson Tatum. Boston went 4-0 against New York during the regular season, including three double-digit victories. The Celtics also have more talent, more depth, more playoff experience and homecourt advantage.

The Knicks do have a strong roster, though. And they just emerged victorious from a competitive first-round series against the Detroit Pistons that featured heroics from Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. If the Knicks are going to have any chance at dethorning the Celtics, Brunson and Towns must play the best basketball of their careers.

Here’s a roundup of expert picks for Celtics-Knicks:

Nick Goss, NBC Sports Boston: Celtics in five

Kurt Helin, NBC Sports: Celtics in five

Jay King, The Athletic: Celtics in five

John Schuhmann, NBA.com: Celtics in five

Tim Bontemps, ESPN: Celtics in five

Tim MacMahon, ESPN: Celtics in six

Dave McMenamin, ESPN: Celtics in seven

Ramona Shelburne, ESPN: Celtics in six

Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports: Celtics in six

James Herbert, CBS Sports: Celtics in five

Brian Lewis, New York Post: Celtics in six