The New York Knicks have won 15 of 17 games, including nine straight since the calendar turned to 2024.
The turning of the calendar from 2023 to 2024 isn’t the most important point of delineation, however. More importantly, the Knicks acquired OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors on December 30, 2023. Since then, the Knicks have been off to the races.
The advanced stats back it up. In the month of January, the Knicks played 16 games and had a league best net rating. Better than the red hot Cavaliers and Clippers. The Knicks offense hasn’t been shabby, but the defense has led the way with a league best 104.4 defensive rating in the month of January. Perhaps what’s more impressive is the delta between defensive rating in December and January. In December, the Knicks registered the league worst defensive rating of 123.6. Holy Anunoby.
Let’s back off the nerd stuff. MSG is rocking these days. Perhaps the most raucous the New York faithful have been since the days of Linsanity. Don’t believe me? The scene after knocking off the Indiana Pacers in front of a home crowd was fantastic. Jalen Brunson booked 40 points to get the win over the Pacers on the same day that he was recognized as an NBA All-Star this season. As he was interviewed, the crowd chanted “MVP” and Brunson couldn’t contain his emotions. MSG is back!
So let’s consider the sports betting odds as the Knicks continue their scorching hot streak. As we noted on January 10, the Knicks were sitting fourth in the eastern standings and were granted +1800 odds to win the east according to bet365. As of February 3, 2024, the Knicks have now moved to +1000 over at bet365 to win the east.
Here are the latest odds to win the east:
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | +130 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +225 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +700 |
| New York Knicks | +1000 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +1400 |
| Miami Heat | +1400 |
| Indiana Pacers | +2500 |
Can the Knicks do it? Can they stay and win the east? It’s not a crazy thought. The reality is that Milwaukee and Philadelphia aren’t going to be motivated to win every regular season game they can. Philadelphia is going to be very careful with Joel Embiid with his latest injury. Boston and Milwaukee are laser focused on the playoffs, and the Knicks are built to win down the stretch in the regular season.
What about the NBA Championship? When we last looked at the odds to win it all, the Knicks weren’t even listed in our top 12 teams mentioned. bet365 North Carolina currently has the Knicks at +3300, tied with Dallas and Miami, with nine teams ahead of them.
While the MSG crowd chants “MVP,” it seems the books have heard their cries. Brunson has moved up the MVP odds list considerably in recent weeks and now sits 6th on the list (as of February 3, 2024):
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Nikola Jokic | -160 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | +250 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | +750 |
| Luka Doncic | +750 |
| Jayson Tatum | +5000 |
| Jalen Brunson | +6000 |
| Anthony Edwards | +10000 |
| Kevin Durant | +10000 |
| De’Aaron Fox | +15000 |
The Knicks will be one of the top teams to watch in the home stretch of the 2023-24 NBA regular season. The schedule continues for the Knicks with the LA Lakers tonight and games in the week ahead against the Grizzlies, Mavericks and Pacers. We’ll continue to monitor the Knicks and other teams and how they impact the NBA sports betting futures.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is not an online gambling operator or gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.
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