Celtics NBA Finals Odds After Poaching Mitchell Robinson From Knicks

Mitchell Robinson signed with the Celtics, but their odds to win the title didn't change. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In one move, the Boston Celtics simultaneously helped their chances of winning the NBA Championship and hurt the defending champion New York Knicks by signing center Mitchell Robinson in free agency. 

Surprisingly, neither team’s finals odds moved as a result.

The Celtics were +650 at DraftKings in the NBA finals odds market before the NBA Draft and are now +700 at DK. That movement had nothing to do with a bad draft class or signing Robinson. This is a pricing situation where traders are adjusting odds based on where people are betting. 

The Knicks, similarly, saw their odds get longer. They were +750 before the Draft and +800 at DK now. 

The bigger piece of news is that the Celtics were favored over the Knicks in the NBA Championship market before and after the Draft. This suggests oddsmakers believed, even before acquiring Mitchell, that Boston is the team to beat in the East, even after the Knicks ended a 53-year title drought. 

While the odds don’t show it, adding Mitchell is a massive win for Boston. They needed a center, and Robinson is the perfect fit. He’s an offensive rebounding machine and is efficient in pick-and-roll situations. With Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown (presumably), and Derrick White focused on the deep ball, Robinson can focus on the offensive glass and giving them second chances on misses. 

Robinson averaged only 19.6 minutes per game in New York last year and has never played a full season. Yet his impact on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball can’t be overstated. That is exactly what the Celtics needed, and they got it while also hurting their biggest competition. 

The Knicks, meanwhile, remained steadfast that they wouldn’t go into the second apron to sign Robinson, and now they won’t. Karl-Anthony Towns remains their starting center with Mohamed Diawara as the backup. No one would mistake Towns as a defensive stopper, so the Knicks might look for a cheaper big man whose primary role will be what Robinson provided. Diawara won't fill that role completely. They need depth either way. 

The San Antonio Spurs, who the Knicks beat in the Finals, and the Oklahoma City Thunder, who won the title in 2025, are the co-betting favorites at +270 on DK. Everyone else in the market is +2200 or higher. 

Here are the odds for the Top 10 teams via DraftKings. 

NBA Finals Odds 

• Spurs +270
• Thunder +270
• Celtics +700
• Knicks +800
• Raptors +2200
• Timberwolves +2500
• Heat +2500
• Pistons +2500
• Nuggets +2500
• Cavaliers +3000

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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