Knicks disrespected in odds to win the NBA Finals after earning No. 2 seed in East

For the first time since the 2012-13 season, the New York Knicks won 50 games in a regular season, earning the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference by beating the Chicago Bulls in overtime on Sunday. 

New York now has set up a matchup with the winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 play-in tournament game in the first round, but oddsmakers aren’t buying the Knicks as a contender to win the Finals.

With Julius Randle (shoulder surgery) done for the season, the Knicks are riding an insane second half from Jalen Brunson, who closed out the season with his 11th 40-point game in the win over Chicago. 

Can the Knicks truly contend for a title? Here’s how Vegas sees things shaking out: 

Knicks odds to win the NBA Championship this season

The Knicks are +3300 to win the NBA Finals – the fourth-best odds in the Eastern Conference and the same odds as the Los Angeles Lakers, the No. 8 seed in the West. 

One of the teams the Knicks are behind is the Philadelphia 76ers, who are the No. 7 seed and could be the team New York faces in the first round of the playoffs. This is a sign that oddsmakers think the Sixers will upset the Knicks to open the playoffs.

It’s shocking to see that, especially since New York has weathered the storm without Julius Randle (who missed 36 games) in the second half of the season. Not only are the Knicks 20-3 in games that OG Anunoby plays, but they went an impressive 21-15 even when Randle didn’t play. 

Brunson has been an All-NBA player all season long, taking his game to another level since the All-Star break, averaging 31.1 points and 7.3 assists per game. 

Sure, the Knicks don’t have the star power of some of the other NBA Finals contenders (in the eyes of some), but Brunson is a bonafide superstar this season, and the team has shown it can beat the Milwaukee Bucks (who it may matchup with in the second round), Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and other contenders in the East.

New York has avoided a matchup with Boston until the Eastern Conference Finals (if it reaches them), which makes it crazy that oddsmakers have the Knicks this low in the odds. 

Knicks’ potential first-round playoff matchups

The Knicks will play the winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 play-in tournament matchup, which will take place on Wednesday between the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat. 

Philadelphia 76ers

Philly has been great when Joel Embiid plays this season (31-8 straight up), but the team did lose its lone game against the Knicks with JoJo in action. 

New York went 3-1 against the Sixers this season, and while it may not have a player as good as Embiid down low, Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein are two of the better interior defenders in the league. If the Knicks can slow Embiid, they could win this series – which they have home court advantage for at Madison Square Garden. 

Miami Heat

New York went 2-1 against the Heat in the regular season, but fans will clearly worry about the playoff matchup against them last season when New York lost in six games. 

The Heat are a different animal in the playoffs, but New York has experience playing them in a playoff environment with Randle either out (he missed Game 1 last season) or at less than 100 percent. 

Are the Knicks worth a bet to win the NBA Finals? 

At this price, New York is worth a shot to win the NBA Finals. 

There isn’t a single other top three seed that is lower than +1900 in the odds, but the Knicks are all the way down at +3300. 

That’s value, even if you don’t love the path the Knicks have to the Finals. With Giannis Antetokounmpo dealing with a calf strain, there’s a chance the Knicks could have a path to the Eastern Conference Finals, and fans saw the Heat make a run as the No. 8 seed last season. 

New York is getting disrespect – compared to other top seeds – entering the playoffs.

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.