New York Knicks NBA Championship Odds Are What? 

When many pundits discuss the New York Knicks, they use the same kind of backhanded compliments used to describe a grizzled vet getting buckets at the local gym – gritty, hard-nosed, overachiever.

What you don’t hear many describe them as is championship contenders, and oddsmakers agree, which makes New York a good undervalue buy to consider.

The Knicks’ odds to win the NBA championship heading into their first-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers are +3000 at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Those are 10th in the NBA behind the Lakers, Suns, Timberwolves, Sixers, Thunder, Clippers, Mavericks, Bucks, Nuggets and Celtics. That’s despite the Knicks being the second seed in the East and being ranked fifth in net rating during the regular season. 

In the words of Vince Lombardi, “What the hell's going on out here?”

This feels like a buy-low opportunity on New York. It plays the seventh-seeded 76ers in the first round of the playoffs, and if you saw how hobbled Joel Embiid looked in their comeback win over the Heat in the play-in tournament, you know the Knicks are catching a break with his health right now. 

Elsewhere in the East, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is dealing with a left calf strain that’s expected to keep him out of at least the start of the Bucks first-round matchup against the Pacers. Even if Milwaukee wins that series, Antetokounmpo will likely be nursing this injury the rest of the postseason. 

Few would argue the Knicks are better than the Celtics. Boston is 4-1 against them this season and would have homecourt if they matched up in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

The Knicks are also 4-7 overall against the top six seeds in the Western Conference this year.

It still feels +3000, which represents a 3.2% implied probability they will win it, is a bit low, especially when the 76ers are +2000.

The Knicks play a visually unappealing style of basketball. Their offense operates at the slowest pace in the NBA. Every player on the team dives for loose balls. Their bigs battle opponents down low. They never give an inch. While some mock it, that style is proven to win in the playoffs. 

The Knicks were fifth in the NBA in average rebounds per game and led the league in offensive rebounds per game. They allowed the second-fewest points per game in the NBA this season and were sixth in steals per game. 

Do you know which team played a similar style and had similar stats in the 2023 playoffs? The NBA championship runner-up Miami Heat. 

Gritty basketball is easy to mock. When you compare it to the graceful game of Showtime Lakers, you’ll always choose the latter. But doubt fuels desire and this Knicks team doesn’t lack in either category. 

This is a group of players competing as one. That emanates from the Villanova trio of Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo and extends to OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein and everyone on the team. 

At +3000 you’re never getting a likely payout. But in this case, you are getting value on a team that’s been overlooked all season. 

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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