2025 NBA Championship Odds: Can the Knicks or Rockets Win NBA Finals as Longshot Underdogs?
The NBA Finals are still six weeks away, but the chase to win it all begins today, on Saturday, April 19. Jason Radowitz has examined the odds for every team, and has found two with longshot odds in the Knicks and Rockets. Are these teams better equipped to go the distance than the odds suggest? Check out these 2025 NBA Championship Odds as the first round of the NBA Playoffs tips off.
Jason Radowitz - April 19, 2025, 2:30 PM EDT
5 min2025 NBA Championship Odds: Can the Knicks or Rockets Win NBA Finals as Longshot Underdogs?
The Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies were the final teams to sneak into the NBA Playoffs before they officially begin on Saturday.
While the chances an 8-seed wins the NBA Finals are slim, we can point to the Heat coming very close a few years ago!
Heading into the NBA Playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder are favorites to win it all. The Thunder finished with the best record in the NBA, going 68-14 in the regular season. They'll be the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are the second-most likely team to make the NBA Finals. They aren't even the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. But the Celtics won it all last year and are expected to be just as dangerous this year.
That said, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, are the third likeliest team to win the NBA Finals.
You can check out all of the NBA Championship odds below. I've also added some of the best bets that you'll want to consider before the playoff action begins on Saturday.
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2025 NBA Championship Odds
Click here to see the complete NBA Championship Odds
2025 NBA Championship Odds
New York Knicks (+3100) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
The New York Knicks couldn't beat any of the top teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences in the regular season. But they are getting healthy at the perfect time and will have a lot of momentum if they can sneak by the Detroit Pistons.
They'd likely get the Boston Celtics next, which would be an intriguing matchup in the second round. Yes, the Knicks haven't been able to beat the Celtics this season, but they've come close and have had moments where they've looked superior.
We've also seen the Knicks catch fire in the playoffs. They've given every team they've faced a battle in the playoffs since last year. New York easily has the talent to compete with anyone. They've just got to bring their A-game every night.
The Knicks still rank 5th in the NBA in points per 100 possessions. They've also performed better defensively in the second half and have allowed just a 17.5 free throw rate on the defensive end. That's good for 6th in the NBA.
New York has done a lot of good things this year. Don't overlook that.
Houston Rockets (+7500) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
There's no reason why a two-seed in the Western Conference should be +7500.
The Houston Rockets have a young core that hasn't been involved in many playoff series. However, this is a team that has won 52 games this season. The Rockets are also coached by Ime Udoka, who has won wherever he's been since being a head coach in the NBA.
Houston has a lot of depth, a terrific defense, and a lot of toughness about them. They'll compete against the Golden State Warriors in the first round. After all, the Rockets beat the Warriors on April 6, 106-96 on the road. That has to count for something.
If the Rockets get by the Warriors, they'll likely have an easier matchup against Minnesota or Los Angeles.
In addition, the Rockets rank fourth in the NBA in points per 100 possessions on defense. Houston also ranks third in defensive effective field goal percentage and has allowed below 27% of offensive rebounds. They say defense wins championships. The Rockets have great defense and many young stars who can take over a game.
NBA ODDS
