Knicks Shockingly Open As Underdogs vs. 76ers

The New York Knicks earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2024 NBA Playoffs. They were the only team in the conference to reach the 50-win plateau, joining the Boston Celtics.

On Wednesday night, New York found out who their opponent would be in the first round. In a hotly contested NBA Play-In Game, the Philadelphia 76ers edged out the Miami Heat, meaning the Atlantic Division foes will be meeting in Round 1.

Normally, the No. 2 seed would be sizable favorites over the No. 7 seed. But, the 76ers aren’t your normal seven-seed. They have reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid back in the lineup and Tyrese Maxey is as talented of a scoring guard as there is in the NBA.

Had the 76ers remained healthy throughout the season, they assuredly wouldn’t be the No. 7 seed. Odd makers realize that and are giving Philadelphia a ton of respect in their first-round matchup against New York.

Somewhat shockingly, the 76ers opened up as favorites in the series over the Knicks. Evan Abrams of ActionNetwork revealed New York is a slight underdog, listed at +100 while the 76ers were installed as -120 favorites.

The Knicks are only the second 1 or 2 seed in NBA history to be made underdogs in a first-round series. The last time was in 2021 when the Phoenix Suns, who were the No. 2 seed, were underdogs against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Suns won that series 4-2.