After 20-plus years of frustration, New York Knicks fans are actually believing that their beloved team has a chance to end a seemingly eternal championship drought. It has been over 50 years since “The City’s Team” last won an NBA Championship.
New York came within one win of making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2023-24. Key injuries derailed a hoped-for showdown with the rival Boston Celtics, and the team’s front office aggressively moved to improve the chances of making a deeper postseason run.
As the first major transaction to tip off one of the most memorable offseasons in franchise history, the Knicks pulled off a rare trade with their local nemesis, the Brooklyn Nets, to land Mikal Bridges.
Then, in another somewhat unexpected move, New York dealt for Minnesota’s Karl Anthony-Towns, shipping off signature player Julius Randle and fan favorite Donte DiVincenzo in the process.
We look into the updated Knicks futures odds and examine the chances of the current roster to join names like Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere and Earl Monroe in franchise lore as champions.
Knicks futures odds for 2024-2025
To win the Eastern Conference:
To Win the NBA Finals
Best Knicks futures bets to make now
- Knicks to win the Eastern Conference: +370 at FanDuel
- Knicks to win the NBA Finals: +650 at BetMGM
- J. Brunson to avg 25+ PPG & Knicks to Win East: +550 at DraftKings
Knicks NBA champion odds (+650): Is New York good value?
*odds via BetMGM as of 10/14
Only the defending champion Celtics (+325 at BetMGM) have better odds to win the NBA Finals than this season’s edition of the Knicks (+650; Oklahoma City is also at +650).
Golden State was the last repeat NBA champion in 2018-19. Boston will return the core of its championship team, while the Thunder will aim to finish the job in the West after a highly promising 2023-24 campaign ended in the playoffs against Dallas.
New York’s fortunes will still be heavily built around arguably the biggest star in the local market, Jalen Brunson. The standout guard elevated his overall game to new heights last season and delivered the most impressive playoff run by an individual Knicks player since Bernard King in1984.
Bridges and Towns are certain upgrades to his impressive complementary cast. Yet the team may take some time to gel, and we will have to wait and see how it all fleshes out come playoff time. The Knicks must develop the overall cohesiveness that Boston and OKC already have as built-in advantages.
Once everyone is on the same, on-court page, though, this version of the Knickerbockers will be more dangerous as an overall shooting team. Towns is one of the sharpest long-range shooting big men of all time, and Brunson can bludgeon opponents through penetration or with outside gunning.
Defensively, Bridges will be a major and immediate impact addition if he recaptures his best form. Bridges and OG Anunoby will pave the way for a stifling defensive unit under Tom Thibodeau, who emphasizes that side of the ball. The head coach will attempt to get the best out of Towns as a defender.
With the tenacious Josh Hart and outside shooting stinger Deuce McBride also in the mix, you should consider the Knicks to win the NBA Finals at +650 odds at BetMGM Sportsbook.
If Anunoby can stay healthy and Edison, New Jersey native Towns handles the New York spotlight well, we may see the team make its strongest push for a title in three decades.
A $50 bet with those odds will get you $375 back in total if they win the 2025 NBA Finals.
If you are a Knicks fan, these are the most exciting times since the Patrick Ewing era, and the extensive wait for landing a major star finally ended when Towns was acquired. In today’s NBA, though, super teams have given way to true team play and strong chemistry.
The 2024-25 Knicks feature one previously established superstar and have been built with the best fits in mind. Brunson’s biggest backers will point to him seizing superstar status last season, in the environment that was gradually constructed, as opposed to bringing in other big names prior to the Towns acquisition.
These Knicks boast a strong defensive approach modeled by their head coach, and Thibodeau will demand continued physical play.
Timely shooting from Towns, Bridges and McBride will blend with the unrelenting play of Hart and Anunoby and the all-around skills of Bridges to make the Knicks well worth the wager to win it all.
If you want to bet on Towns taking down his former team and overcoming Randle and DiVincenzo’s intentions for revenge, take the Knicks and Timberwolves to meet in the NBA Finals at +2000.
Knicks odds to win the Eastern Conference (+390)
*odds via FanDuel as of 10/14
New York naturally has the second-best odds to win the East at FanDuel, behind only Boston (+160). A $25 bet on the Knicks brings back $122.50 if it’s a winner.
Health will be an apparent key to being able to topple Boston, as not having essential performers such as Randle and Anunoby were major factors that led to the seven-game loss to Indiana in the Eastern semifinals.
Center Mitchell Robinson may be able to return in January from two ankle surgeries. When he is back playing at his usual levels, the Robinson will add more significant dimensions of physicality and rim protection that can only boost the team’s playoff outlook.
Losing DiVincenzo may test the team’s depth, but McBride will be a top weapon off the bench and Precious Achiuwa proved to be an integral pickup last season. Newcomer Cameron Payne gives New York another experienced contributor for its potential conference title push.
Philadelphia (+450) and Milwaukee (+650) will certainly be in the picture to take their shots at getting past Boston and New York to win the Eastern Conference. Having Towns gives the Knicks a resounding answer to Joel Embiid, and as a pairing, he and Brunson can stare down the Giannis Antetokoumpo/Damian Lillard duo.
The Knicks secured a No. 2 seed in the East last season, and this roster looks capable of outdoing last year’s team, so put down a bet for them at FanDuel Sportsbook to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Knicks odds to make the NBA Playoffs (-5000)
*odds via DraftKings as of 10/14
It would be very surprising to see no playoff games at Madison Square Garden this season.
The odds for the Knicks to qualify for the postseason are obviously highly favorable. They would only be adversely affected by the type of doom and gloom scenarios that longtime fans would rather not see or hear mentioned.
The over/under of 54.5 wins at -110 is a fun and interesting wager. New York won 50 games last season and should be five wins better with Towns and Bridges swapped out for Randle and DiVincenzo player-wise.
Some observers, though, will question losing Randle’s physical offensive presence and DiVincenzo as a projected sixth man and may opt for the under at -110.
You can also make wagering on the Knicks even more compelling at DraftKings Sportsbook with Team Specials. Take Brunson to average 25-plus points per game and New York to win the East at +550.
