New York needs to keep its eye on the ball. With just seven games left in the regular season, the Knicks have a good shot at holding onto their No. 5 seed, but some unevenness in their last three games has some analysts worried they might slip further down the standings. Either way, it’s time to check in on a NY Knicks odds update.
Four teams have clinched a playoff berth in the East – No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks, No. 2 Boston Celtics, No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers, and No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers. Meanwhile, three teams are just outside the door jockeying for the fifth and sixth spots. The Knicks are first in line to the party at 42-33, trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers by six wins. But the Nets and Heat are, well, hot on their heels with tied 40-35 records.
We’re looking at what the Knicks need to do to hold onto the fifth spot and how likely it is they could make a deeper playoff run or take a shot at the title. To get some insights, we’ll check in on the Knicks odds across top New York sportsbooks.
Knicks Odds for Knicks vs. Rockets
The Knicks are 14-point favorites against the Houston Rockets in tonight’s game. The Rockets just lost by 17 points to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday – another game that had a 14-point spread. Houston (18-57) is dead last in the West and has already been eliminated from the playoffs.
But that doesn’t mean the Knicks can take their eye off the ball. They need to keep winning to ensure the Nets or Heat don’t creep up the standings over the final few games. They don’t really have a shot at getting a home-court advantage in the first round. They’d have to win every remaining game and hope the Cavs lost … all their games.
At this point, it’s just keeping focused and holding onto a guaranteed playoff berth. The Rockets shouldn’t pose a challenge, and we like the Knicks to cover the spread. The last time the two teams played, the Knicks won 108-88. Here’s the latest Knicks odds update for the game.
Can the Knicks Show Strength Through Playoffs?
We’re at the point in the regular season where it’s time to evaluate how teams will perform in the playoffs. While the Knicks have great odds of making the playoffs, the question is: Can they weather the amped-up playoff pressure?
Playoff basketball is a different beast than the regular season, and the Knicks seem to be hiccuping at just the wrong time. They’ve lost three in a row, with Jalen Bruson hurt and Julius Randle suddenly looking unpredictable. Randle drew technical fouls in two games and has generally been dragging since his stellar 57-point performance against the Timberwolves on Monday.
The Knicks have seven more games to sort out whatever gris-gris they’ve got on them and shape up for a playoff run.
Knicks Odds Update: To Win the East and NBA Championship
The Knicks are at 40-to-1 odds to win the East, slightly longer than they were a couple of weeks ago at 30-to-1. They’re trailing the Bucks, Celtics, Sixers, and Cavaliers, with the odds falling in order of the current conference standings.
Their odds to win the NBA Title have actually gotten shorter this week, improving from 90-to-1 last week to currently sitting at 80-to-1. That’s the 13th most likely to win, right below the Kings and right above the Heat.
Here are the NY sports betting odds for the Eastern Conference championship.
Scroll through the table below to see the odds for each team in the East to win the conference title.
Knicks Upcoming Games
The most challenging games ahead for the Knicks are later this week when they take on the Heat at MSG and then travel to Cleveland to play the fourth-ranked Cavaliers. Both of those rivalry matchups will have implications for their seeding in the playoffs. But at this point, every win – and loss – matters.
Here are all of the Knicks’ remaining regular-season games.
- vs. Houston — Monday, March 27
- vs. Miami — Wednesday, March 29
- @ Cleveland — Friday, March 31
- vs. Washington — Sunday, April 2
- @ Indiana — Wednesday, April 5
- @ New Orleans — Friday, April 7
- vs. Indiana — Sunday, April 9
Photo by: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire
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