Knicks Draw Nearly 50% of NBA Finals Bets as Spurs Open at -200
Updated
Updated · ESPN · May 31
Knicks Draw Nearly 50% of NBA Finals Bets as Spurs Open at -200
10 articles · Updated · ESPN · May 31
Nearly half of all money wagered at DraftKings New York on the NBA Finals winner has gone to the underdog Knicks, almost matching the rest of the league combined.
San Antonio still opened as high as -220 to win the title, but that price tightened to -200 by Sunday as money moved toward New York; the Spurs are 4.5-point favorites for Game 1.
New York brings an 11-game winning streak, two straight series sweeps and eight days of rest into Wednesday's opener, while the Spurs reached the Finals after a seven-game series against Oklahoma City.
Sportsbooks face exposure on both teams: the Spurs started the season at 65-1 and the Knicks at 10-1, with New York's odds stretching to 35-1 during the playoffs.
Victor Wembanyama is a -185 favorite for Finals MVP after winning Defensive Player of the Year, a double achieved only once before by Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994.
With New York betting heavily on their team, are sportsbooks facing their biggest Finals liability in years?
Can Victor Wembanyama's historic season overcome a rested Knicks team and deliver San Antonio a championship?
Is the Knicks' eight-day rest an advantage, or will they be too rusty for the battle-tested Spurs?