The New York Knicks are back in championship contention for the first time in a long time. Their offseason moves already had them poised for another great season, but the Karl-Anthony Towns trade further showed their hunger for an NBA championship. This 2024-25 NBA betting preview will look at the Knicks odds and Knicks news today to see if their win total is worth betting on.
2024-25 NBA Betting Preview: New York Knicks Win Total Odds
*All Knicks odds are courtesy of FanDuel.com*
Hope in New York
The Knicks’ starting lineup when Leon Rose took over:
•Elfrid Payton
•Taj Gibson
•Maurice Harkless
•Julius Randle
•RJ BarrettVS today’s potential lineup:
•Jalen Brunson
•Josh Hart*
•OG Anunoby
•Mikal Bridges
•Karl-Anthony Towns pic.twitter.com/UDTid8Isme— Knicks Nation (@KnicksNation) October 2, 2024
The Knicks have been on an upward trajectory since getting Jalen Brunson in the 2022 offseason. They won 37 games the year before he arrived and, since then, won 47 and 50 games. Last season was the first Knicks 50-win season in over ten years. They eclipsed their projected win total line the previous year (45.5) with relative ease.
Coach Tom Thibodeau, often criticized for overplaying his best players, has helped reestablish the Knicks as an Eastern Conference contender. The heavy workload Thibodeau put on the Knicks players potentially contributed to their downfall in the playoffs. They lost in seven games to the Indiana Pacers after multiple impact players went down with injuries. Last season’s Eastern Conference Semifinals appearance was enough of a taste for the Knicks front office that they decided to go all-in on championship contention.
KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS FIRST MEDIA AVAILABILITY AS A KNICK 🎙️#NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/gGH76o7fcZ
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 3, 2024
Big Swings in the Big Apple
The Knicks have signaled that they believe they are ready to compete at the top of the East. This offseason, they shook things up in a major way, losing some of the key pieces from their overachieving core of last year while gaining some impact stars. The two biggest additions of the offseason for the Knicks were trading for both Mikal Bridges and Towns. Some lesser additions are that of Cameron Payne and TJ Warren.
Although adding a 3-and-D specialist like Bridges and a 20-point-per-game scorer like Towns seems like a no-brainer, it did come at a cost. Besides the first-round picks they sent out, the Knicks also had to part with fan favorites Donte DiVincenzo, and former All-NBA star Julius Randle. Additionally, the lost center Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency due to cap complexions stemming from the Bridges trade and OG Anunoby‘s extension. Changing things this much after a successful season comes with risks, but if they pay off, it could result in an NBA championship.
Current Knicks Odds and Betting History
The dust has settled from the blockbuster Knicks Towns trade, and their win total over/under is set at 54.5 (-106 over and -114 under). Before the trade, the projection was 53.5, but oddsmakers believe swapping Towns for Randle and DiVincenzo is worth one extra regular season win. The projection of 54.5 is the highest Knicks win total projection since the 1993-94 season.
Karl-Anthony Towns, before being traded to the Knicks, on Jalen Brunson taking a paycut to stay in New York:
“You can’t put a value on the fact that he’s at where he wants to be…I root him on for that” pic.twitter.com/KQnDrwlfPu
— Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen) October 2, 2024
Although this win total projection is far above last season’s 45.5, it is only five wins more than their win total from last season. The Knicks have eclipsed their projected win total in the last two seasons. Without a doubt, the addition of Bridges and Towns raises the ceiling on the Knicks’ potential outcomes this season. Five more wins than last year seem doable, but health and chemistry are potential issues. Thibodeau is a great regular season coach and could push this team to 55 wins, but there is always an adjustment period with new faces on the team.
