Knicks' NBA Finals Odds Crater Following Epic Collapse in Game 1 vs. Pacers

The New York Knicks' odds to win the NBA Finals fell after losing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Knicks are +700 to win the title this season. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks couldn’t have drawn up a worse start to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Despite leading by double digits midway through the fourth quarter, the Knicks blew a nine-point lead in the final minute of regulation to the Indiana Pacers, leading to overtime. In OT, the Knicks were outscored by three, losing Game 1 of their best-of-seven series at home.

UNREAL 🤯😳 pic.twitter.com/fTeiOgvcuj

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 22, 2025

The collapse by the Knicks was a combination of poor execution, turnovers by star Jalen Brunson and a ton of hot shooting from Indiana’s Aaron Nesmith and Tyrese Haliburton. 

Haliburton nearly won the game in regulation on a step-back jumper, but his foot was on the line, leading to the game going to OT instead. 

With Wednesday’s loss, the Knicks’ odds to win the NBA Finals took a major hit. New York was +475 to win the title before the start of the series, but it has now slipped to +700 after losing Game 1. 

The Pacers have moved to +475 to win the title at DraftKings – the second-best odds of any team remaining in the playoffs – while the Oklahoma City Thunder saw a slight bump to their odds, going from -200 to -205. 

Latest NBA Championship Odds

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Oklahoma City Thunder: -205
• Indiana Pacers: +475
• New York Knicks: +700
• Minnesota Timberwolves: +950

The Knicks made a bunch of wild comebacks in the second round against the Boston Celtics, but Wednesday’s collapse is extremely concerning for the rest of the series with the Pacers.

The Knicks are now underdogs (+135) to win the series, and they have to win a game on the road to get home-court advantage back in this matchup.

To make matters worse, Indiana has been elite on the road in the playoffs, going 5-1 overall, winning each of its last five road games. So, there is no guarantee the Knicks will end up winning Game 2 at home.

Oddsmakers have set New York as a 5.5-point favorite in Game 2 at Madison Square Garden.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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