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The Knicks celebrated a nail-biting victory in Game 1 against the Spurs, securing a crucial away win that extends their playoff winning streak to 12 games. This triumph not only boosts their momentum but also grants them the advantage of home court in the NBA Finals.
With this win, the Knicks have emerged as the frontrunners for the NBA championship, holding -140 odds to clinch the series at BetMGM. Meanwhile, the Spurs are now seen as underdogs with +118 odds. Prior to Game 1, the Spurs were favored at -190, while the Knicks were the underdogs at +155.
Initially, the Knicks were considered long shots with +210 odds against the Spurs, but their odds improved to around +155 as Game 1 approached.
This marks the first occasion this season that the Knicks have been favored to win the championship, a distinction they haven’t held since 1994.
Historically, as per Sports Odds History, the Knicks were the preseason favorites for the title in 1993 and were also favored during the 1994 Eastern Conference finals.
Entering the NBA Finals, the Rockets, who had home-court advantage, were series favorites and eventually beat the Knicks in 7 games.
In 1999, the Knicks were massive underdogs as the No. 8 seed facing a Spurs team that had the best record in the NBA during the regular season and lost just one game entering the Finals.
The Game 1 win didn’t just flip the series in the Knicks’ favor; it put Jalen Brunson in the driver’s seat for NBA Finals MVP.
The Knicks captain moved from +200 to -105 after his 30-point performance in the series opener, which included 19 points in the second half to power the Knicks to victory. Brunson is now the most-bet player to win Finals MVP at BetMGM, according to John Ewing.
Whether the Knicks will remain the favorite is an open question, but sportsbooks expect a bounce back from San Antonio.
The Spurs are 5.5-point favorites to win Game 2 and are 5-1 in the playoffs in the game following a loss with an average margin of victory of 18.6 points.
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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.