It has been 52 years since the New York Knicks last claimed an NBA championship, and one bookmaker in Las Vegas hopes that trend continues.
Currently, teams like Oklahoma City, Minnesota, and Indiana have better odds to win the coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy.

“I need them out big time,” the bookmaker stated. “A customer came in and bet $20,000 at 30-1 before the playoffs started. We took the bet because we didn’t think they would get past Boston and Cleveland out East.”
(Translation: “Necesito que se vayan grande tiempo. Un cliente vino y apostó $20,000 a 30-1 antes de que comenzaran los playoffs. Aceptamos la apuesta porque no pensábamos que pasarían a Boston y Cleveland en el Este.”)

“The path is much easier now after Jayson Tatum’s injury and Indiana’s victory over Cleveland. We recorded several more bets once Tatum was taken off the court as our odds shifted to 5-1 now.”

“The situation will become very uncomfortable for us if the Knicks reach the Finals.”

Current NBA title odds according to BetMGM:

• Oklahoma City Thunder: -135 (bet $10 to win $17.41 total)
• Minnesota Timberwolves: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)
• Indiana Pacers: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
• New York Knicks: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
• Boston Celtics: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)
• Denver Nuggets: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)

New York is starting as a 2.5-point favorite in the upcoming Game 6 against the Celtics at Madison Square Garden. An early betting shift has been noted towards the champions, with the spread moving from +2.5 to +2.

Only time will reveal if the Knicks can secure the series victory.
If they do, it would create one of the most unlikely matchup scenarios in the Eastern Conference finals, as Cleveland initially held daunting odds of -600 against Indiana, while Boston was at -900 against New York.

A series parlay for a Cavaliers-Pacers matchup stood at around 33-1.

Meanwhile, the Warriors’ campaign is over after being defeated by Minnesota, a result that has been well received by the bookmakers.

“The Warriors were at 40-1 to win it all when they made the Jimmy Butler trade,” the bookmaker recollected. “They made a notable surge and caught the bettors’ attention, leading to odds dropping to 12-1 for the title and 6-1 for the West.”
(Translation: “Los Warriors estaban a 40-1 para ganarlo todo cuando hicieron el intercambio de Jimmy Butler. Hicieron un notable aumento y captaron la atención de los apostadores, lo que hizo que las probabilidades bajaran a 12-1 para el título y 6-1 para el Oeste.”)

There’s a general consensus among sportsbooks that it would not be an issue if Oklahoma City clinched their first title in franchise history, having been established as a top preseason contender and accumulating a league-leading 68 victories during the regular season.

Ultimately, with the question, “And New York?” the bookmaker concluded, “Anyone but the Knicks. Anyone.”

Sam Panayotovich is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and the BetMGM Network.