Knicks, Nuggets NBA Finals Odds Skyrocket After Upset Wins in Game 1

The Knicks and Nuggets have both improved their NBA Finals odds with wins in Game 1 of the conference semifinals.

The Knicks upset the Celtics as nine-point underdogs in Game 1. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Are the 2025 NBA Playoffs more wide open than anyone expected?

There have been three conference semifinal games so far this postseason, and all three of the lower seeds have won as underdogs of eight or more points to take 1-0 series leads on the road.

On Monday night, the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets followed the Indiana Pacers' blueprint, upsetting the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1.

New York rallied back from a 20-point deficit in the second half to win Game 1, holding Boston in check from beyond the arc despite the fact that it took 60 3-point shots. Game 1 was the first time the Knicks beat the Celtics all season long, and oddsmakers are taking notice that they could win this series.

At DraftKings Sportsbook, the Knicks moved from +5500 to +3000 to win the title this season, a massive move for winning just one game. Based on implied probability, the Knicks went from a 1.79 percent chance to a 3.23 percent chance to win the title with Monday's win.

Out West, the Nuggets pulled off a thrilling come-from-behind victory as well, as Aaron Gordon knocked down a 3-pointer in the final seconds to give Denver a two-point win. The Nuggets had better odds than the Knicks to win the title entering Game 1 (they were at +4000), but they've moved even further in the market, sitting at +1800 in the latest odds.

Denver now has an implied probability of 5.26 percent to win the title.

The Knicks and Nuggets winning not only shook up their odds, but the rest of the field's as well. Boston and OKC both took hits, and some other teams in each conference saw their odds make a slight uptick with a chance that those squads won't be in the conference finals.

OKC, the favorite to win the title entering Game 1, remains in that spot. However, it dropped from +125 to +175 to win it all. Boston saw a similar drop as the No. 2 choice to win the title, going from +190 to +210.

Oddsmakers clearly still think that these squads will come back to win their respective series, but it's far from guaranteed after losing home court in the opening game.

Another team that lost home court in the opening game -- the Cleveland Cavaliers -- saw some positive movement in the NBA Finals market. After dropping to +650 to win the title after a Game 1 loss to Indiana, the Cavs are now +500 to win the title with Boston taking a step back with Monday's loss.

Similarly, in the Western Conference both the Golden State Warriors (+2500 to +1800) and Minnesota Timberwolves (+1300 to +1100) saw their odds improve to win the title despite the fact that they don't play Game 1 until Tuesday night.

Here's a complete look at the odds to win the championship after what has been a wild first few days in the second round of the playoffs.

Latest Odds to Win the NBA Championship

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Oklahoma City Thunder: +175
• Boston Celtics: +210
• Cleveland Cavaliers: +500
• Minnesota Timberwolves: +1100
• Golden State Warriors: +1800
• Denver Nuggets: +1800
• New York Knicks: +3000
• Indiana Pacers: +3500

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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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