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The Knicks are used to a ton of fanfare on opening night, but this upcoming season will be even more chaotic.
Not only will the Knicks be raising a championship banner at Madison Square Garden for the first time since 1973, but they’ll face LeBron James in his first regular season game with the 76ers.
It’s safe to say this will be the hottest ticket for a regular season game we’ve seen in a while, and oddsmakers will certainly garner their fair share of betting tickets as well.
The Knicks opened as 4.5-point favorites at home against the Sixers; they are -166 on the moneyline, and the Over/Under is 228.5 at FanDuel Sportsbook.
The Knicks eliminated the Sixers from the playoffs in a stunning sweep that New York fans will always remember for taking over Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia for the final two games.
That defeat prompted the Sixers organization to make huge moves in the offseason: a massive trade that sent Paul George to Boston and brought Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia, and signing LeBron James in free agency.
76ers guard Jaylen Brown poses for a photo during his introductory press conference at the Francis J. Myers Recreation Center. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Those two moves completely changed the Sixers’ outlook heading into next season, boosting their odds to win an NBA championship in 2027 from 75/1 before the Brown trade to 10/1 after landing James.
The Knicks, by contrast, have been extremely quiet this offseason.
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They re-signed fan-favorite guards Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet to team-friendly deals but let Mitchell Robinson walk in free agency to the Celtics. Third-string center Ariel Hukporti also departed the team for the 76ers.
The Knicks (+340) still remain the favorite to win the Eastern Conference next season, but the Sixers are right on their heels with +390 odds.
Luckily, we won’t have to wait too long to see how close the two teams are to competing for the top spot in the East.
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Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
