NBA Finals Odds: Knicks Fall Behind Cavs, Celtics, Pistons After Struggles With East Contenders

Mike Brown’s New York Knicks have won 11 of their last 15 games, ranking in the top-10 in the league in net rating, yet they continue to see their odds to win the NBA Finals this season fall.

The reason?

New York has struggled mightily against some of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, falling to 0-3 against the Detroit Pistons with a home loss out of the All-Star break. Then, the Knicks were blown out on Tuesday night by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first meeting between the teams since the James Harden trade.

Those losses were enough for oddsmakers to push New York back to +1700 to win the NBA Finals, behind Cleveland (+1000), Boston (+1200) and Detroit (+1300) in the latest odds.

The Knicks have a half-game lead on the Cavs for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, and both teams have easy schedules to end the regular season. New York faces the fifth-easiest remaining schedule in the league while the Cavs face the fourth easiest.

Despite that, it appears that the Knicks are fringe contenders in the eyes of oddsmakers, and that they would be underdogs in a series against any of the other top-four teams in the East.

After making the Eastern Conference Finals last season, an early playoff exit would be an abject failure for a Knicks team that is all in around its current core of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart.

Here’s a look at how the Knicks stack up in the latest Finals odds, and why they still deserve some consideration in the East.

Latest NBA Championship Odds

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Oklahoma City Thunder: +130
Denver Nuggets: +650
San Antonio Spurs: +950
Cleveland Cavaliers: +1000
Boston Celtics: +1200
Detroit Pistons: +1300
New York Knicks: +1700
Houston Rockets: +2500
Minnesota Timberwolves: +3300
Philadelphia 76ers: +5000
Los Angeles Lakers: +5500
Orlando Magic: +8000
Charlotte Hornets: +12500
Miami Heat: +15000
Toronto Raptors: +20000
Golden State Warriors: +22500
Phoenix Suns: +30000
Milwaukee Bucks: +35000
Los Angeles Clippers: +40000
Atlanta Hawks: +100000
Portland Trail Blazers: +200000
Chicago Bulls: +500000
Brooklyn Nets: +500000
Utah Jazz: +500000
Dallas Mavericks: +500000
Washington Wizards: +500000
Sacramento Kings: +500000
New Orleans Pelicans: +500000
Indiana Pacers: +500000
Memphis Grizzlies: +500000

Are the Knicks Still Title Contenders in the Eastern Conference?

The No. 1 seed in the East is out of the question for the Knicks (they’re seven games back and don’t hold the tiebreaker over Detroit), but the Knicks still fit the profile of a title contender.

Since the 1996-97 season, every team that has won the NBA Finals was a top-eight team in net rating during the regular season. As of Feb. 26, the Knicks are sixth.

Since the 1996-97 season, every team that won the NBA Finals finished top 8 in net rating in the regular season.

This season's top 8 in net rating:

1. Thunder
2. Pistons
3. Celtics
4. Spurs
5. Rockets
6. Knicks
7. Nuggets
8. Cavs

Notable:

9. MIN
11. CHA
14. PHI
— Peter Dewey (@peterdewey2) February 26, 2026

When they’re on, the Knicks are an elite offensive team, ranking third in the league in offense. They’ve also jumped into the No. 11 spot in the league in defensive rating. Still, the betting market is higher on teams like Detroit (second in net rating), Boston (third in net rating) and Cleveland (eighth in net rating) with over a month left in the regular season.

New York’s record against quality teams could be a reason why, as the Knicks are just 17-16 against teams that are .500 or better this season. New York has turned in plenty of clunkers in the 2025-26 season, losing badly to Detroit in each matchup and falling out of games with offensive slumps against Boston and Cleveland.

If Jayson Tatum returns for Boston, the Knicks may find themselves as a distant fourth option in this market. The Cavs have gained a ton of steam with James Harden now in the fold, and Detroit is almost guaranteed to end up with the No. 1 seed, barring a late-season collapse.

That means the Knicks could have a tough first-round matchup before going on the road to play one of these teams in the second round. Based on how the Knicks have played on the road (14-14 straight up, 10-18 against the spread), it makes sense that oddsmakers aren’t high on them to win a series where they are primarily on the road.

New York could change this perception over the home stretch of the regular season, but it’s become clear since the deadline that they are no longer the favorite (which is where they were early in the season) to make the Finals out of the East.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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