Knicks' NBA Finals Odds Rise, 76ers Tanking After Monday's Conference Semifinal Opener

Are the New York Knicks making a claim to be legitimate NBA Finals contenders?

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks blew out the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, their third win in a row by 29 or more points in the playoffs. New York, which was favored to beat Philly in the second round, has now moved up to +850 to win the NBA Finals at DraftKings.

Knicks' last 3 games:

Game 1 vs. PHI - Win by 39
Game 6 at ATL - Win by 51
Game 5 vs. ATL - Win by 29

First team in NBA history to win three straight playoff games by 25+ PTS. pic.twitter.com/9o1vHYZADG
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 5, 2026

New York is still behind the Oklahoma City Thunder (-155) and San Antonio Spurs (+475) in the odds to win the Finals, but San Antonio actually lost Game 1 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. So, it's possible the Knicks could find themselves even higher in the odds to win the title later on this postseason.

New York has the best net rating of any team in the playoffs (+21.4) and it's only two losses (both against Atlanta) came by one point. Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby have all played at a high level in the postseason, and Mikal Bridges has bounced back from a slow start with solid showings in Game 6 against Atlanta and Game 1 against Philadelphia.

The Sixers entered this series in the middle of the pack in the odds to win the Finals, but they have fallen to last (+6000) amongst the eight teams remaining in the playoffs. Philly had a quick turnaround after Game 7 on Saturday, so it makes sense that the Knicks were able to jump on the 76ers at home.

Still, Philly now faces an uphill battle heading into Game 2, as the Knicks (30-10 at home in the regular season, 3-1 at home in the playoffs) have taken care of business at Madison Square Garden in the 2025-26 campaign.

New York was the No. 3 team in the East in the odds to win the Finals even after advancing past Atlanta, but the Boston Celtics' loss to Philly and Cleveland's first-round series going to seven games pushed the Knicks to the top spot in the East. That could change depending upon how the Detroit-Cleveland matchup -- which begins Tuesday -- shakes out.

Still, New York is coming off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance last season and finished fifth in the NBA in net rating during the regular season. There's a real argument for the Knicks -- the NBA Cup Champions earlier this season -- to come out of the East, even though it seems they'de be sizable underdogs against both OKC and San Antonio.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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