Knicks’ odds to beat Thunder and Spurs in NBA Finals revealed – and they’re shocking

Nypost · May 26, 2026 · 418 words · By Erich Richter

NBA Finals Projections Sports Betting Odds

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What to know about NBA Finals Projections

Everyone is favored to beat Jalen Brunson; until it’s time to beat Jalen Brunson.

Claims checked 13

Techniques found 2

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

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Center0%

Right100%

1 source compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Everyone is favored to beat Jalen Brunson; until it’s time to beat Jalen Brunson.

Why it matters

While the Knicks are waiting for their opponent in the NBA Finals, that hasn’t stopped the sportsbooks from posting Game 1 odds for either scenario –– and they’ll shock you.

Common ground

Oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook have posted Game 1 odds for Knicks vs.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this NBA Finals Projections story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that the Thunder can be had at -115 at the time of writing, while the Spurs are +275?
How does this story connect NBA Finals Projections with Sports Betting Odds over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/26/betting/knicks-odds-to-beat-thunder-and-spurs-in-n…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

schedule Pending 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 2

cancel Disputed 1

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Claim 1: “the Thunder can be had at -115 at the time of writing, while the Spurs are +275”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results regarding the specific BetMGM odds for the Thunder (-115) or the Spurs (+275).

info

Claim 2: “the Knicks will have played just four games in 23 days by the time June 3 rolls around”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific claim about playing four games in 23 days is not explicitly detailed, but Facebook posts confirm the Knicks have 8 days of rest before Game 1 on June 3. The 23-day window calculation is not independently verified by a second source.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The New York Knicks are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Knicks

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web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · Knicks will have 8 full days of rest before Game 1 on June 3. ... The west won't get it this year. People who think OKC or SA are playing better ...
https://www.facebook.com/CBSSports/posts/knicks-will-have-8-…

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web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · Knicks will have 8 full days of rest before Game 1 on June 3.
https://www.facebook.com/CBSSportsNBA/posts/knicks-will-have…

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Claim 3: “The Knicks are +210 against the Spurs and +220 against the Thunder, respectively.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple search results confirm the DraftKings odds for the Knicks at +210 against the Spurs and +220 against the Thunder.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 NBA draft was the 78th edition of the National Basketball Association's annual draft. Unlike recent years, the 2024 draft took place over two nights. This was the first NBA draft held over mu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_NBA_draft

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025–26 San Antonio Spurs season is the 59th season of the franchise, its 50th in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 53rd in the San Antonio area. On May 2, 2025, Gregg Popovich st…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–26_San_Antonio_Spurs_seas…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 NBA draft will be the 80th edition of the National Basketball Association's annual draft. This will be the first draft since 2021 with 60 picks, as no teams have forfeited second-round draft …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_NBA_draft

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 4: “They are substantially larger underdogs against the Thunder, opening as potential 6.5-point underdogs in Game 1, with the moneyline bloated to +198.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the general context of FanDuel posting odds is corroborated, the specific numbers (6.5-point underdog, +198 moneyline) for the Thunder matchup are not explicitly repeated across multiple independent sources in the provided evidence, though they appear in the context of the same reporting thread.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024–25 Indiana Pacers season was the 58th season of the franchise and the 49th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Rick Carlisle returned for his eighth season as head coach. The…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024–25_Indiana_Pacers_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024–25 Oklahoma City Thunder season was the 17th season of the franchise in Oklahoma City and its 59th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Thunder advanced to the 2024 NBA Cu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024–25_Oklahoma_City_Thunder_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 NBA playoffs is the ongoing postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2025–26 season. The playoffs began on April 18 and will end with the conclusion of the 2026 NBA Fina…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_NBA_playoffs

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “FanDuel has the Knicks as 4.5-point underdogs in San Antonio, with the moneyline coming in at +140.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web search results explicitly state that FanDuel lists the Knicks as 4.5-point underdogs in San Antonio with a +140 moneyline.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the Wes…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio_Spurs

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “Oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook have posted Game 1 odds for Knicks vs. Spurs and Knicks vs. Thunder”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that FanDuel has posted odds for potential NBA Finals matchups between the Knicks and the Spurs, as well as the Knicks and the Thunder.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — FanDuel Sports Network North is an American regional sports network owned by Main Street Sports Group (formerly Diamond Sports Group) and operated as a FanDuel Sports Network affiliate. The channel br…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FanDuel_Sports_Network_North

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — TNT Sports is the division of Warner Bros. Discovery in the United States that is responsible for sports broadcasts on its parent company's streaming service HBO Max and primarily the TruTV, TBS and T…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TNT_Sports_(United_States)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — United Center is an indoor arena on the Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is home to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hoc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Center

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 7: “his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 8: “the two of teams being entangled in a Western Conference war with the series tied at two games apiece.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results to confirm that the Thunder and Spurs are currently tied 2-2 in a playoff series.

schedule

Claim 9: “Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 10: “The Thunder are 4.5-point favorites ahead of a pivotal Game 5 against the Spurs on Tuesday night.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 11: “In hypothetical NBA Finals series odds, DraftKings has the Spurs as -270 favorites over the Knicks, while the Thunder are just barely ahead at -280.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm DraftKings' hypothetical series odds, listing the Spurs at -270 and the Thunder at -280 favorites over the Knicks.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2023 NBA draft, the 77th edition of the National Basketball Association's annual draft, was held on June 22, 2023, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The draft consisted of 58 picks instead…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_NBA_draft

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 12: “the 11-straight wins they’ve rattled off against the Hawks, 76ers, and Cavaliers.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the Knicks' dominant run, including a series sweep of the Cavaliers and wins over the Hawks and 76ers, with one source explicitly mentioning an '11-0 SU tear'.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 6 days ago ... The New York Knicks defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 130-93, to complete the series sweep, 4-0. • Download the NBA App. CLEVELAND — The New York ...
https://www.nba.com/news/4-takeaways-knicks-cavaliers-game-4

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web search NEUTRAL — 7 days ago ... The hawks were a young team, 76ers are done for, and the Cavaliers with Harden wasn't going to work. Even if the Knicks faced the Pistons they ...
https://www.facebook.com/fullcourtph/posts/the-new-york-knic…

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web search NEUTRAL — 7 days ago ... The Knicks are headed to the NBA Finals, and they're headed there on a roll like few others in league history. New York finished off a four-game ...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nba/2026/05/25/knicks-…

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Claim 13: “Currently, they are +225 to win the NBA title on BetMGM Sportsbook, after opening with 22-to-1 odds in Round 1.”

DISPUTED

Sources provide conflicting current odds for the Knicks on BetMGM. One source states they are +225, while another states they are +170. The opening odds of 22-to-1 are not explicitly corroborated across the provided snippets.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 6 days ago · hold +225 odds to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy, behind Oklahoma City (+115) and ahead of San Antonio (+260). The plot of this New York City ...
https://nypost.com/2026/05/26/betting/knicks-championship-od…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 18, 2026 · The New York Knicks now have the 3rd best odds to win the 2025 NBA Finals. 1. Boston Celtics: +320 2. Oklahoma City Thunder: +700 3. New York ...
https://www.facebook.com/azcentral/posts/nba-championship-be…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — So BetMGM now has San Antonio as the -210 favorite in NBA championship odds. The New York Knicks – who are on an 11-0 SU tear (10-1 ATS) – are into the +170 ...
https://www.vegasinsider.com/nba/odds/futures/

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.