The Knicks have been champions for less than a month, but the rest of the NBA isn’t waiting around to catch up to the orange and blue.
Trades and free agency moves, including players from the Knicks’ title team, have shifted the landscape of the league over the past week.
So what does that mean for the Knicks’ outlook next season?
Oddsmakers at FanDuel opened the Knicks’ win total at 53.5 Thursday, which is a familiar number for Knicks bettors. New York’s win total has settled at 53.5 for the previous two seasons, and they went Under that total both times: 51 wins two seasons ago and 53 last season.
The upside for the Knicks’ outlook is their win projection outpaces their competition in the East, specifically the teams that have made splashy moves this offseason.
Sportsbooks opened the Celtics’ win total projection at 50.5 just a day after they stunningly traded Jaylen Brown to the Sixers for Paul George on Wednesday. The Sixers, meanwhile, opened with a 46.5 win total.
The Heat, who traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo just before this year’s draft, and the Raptors, who traded for Kawhi Leonard, also have 46.5 win total projections. The Pacers, who will have Tyrese Haliburton back next season, have a 43.5 win total.
The Knicks remain favorites to win the Atlantic Division (+110) and Eastern Conference (+290) despite the fact that Mitchell Robinson, one of their key rotation players, signed with the Celtics and they have dwindling options to replace him.
Betting on the NBA?
It’s entirely possible that one of the East teams could add another big piece with LeBron James’ future still up in the air. The Warriors are the favorite to land the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, but the Cavaliers and Heat are the next two teams that oddsmakers expect to be suitors for James.
As of now, the Knicks are still the class of the East, but we’ll see if that changes as free agency continues to bring surprises.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
