The No. 2 seed Knicks are getting no love from Vegas as series underdogs against the Sixers
The 76ers are only the second team in 25 years to be favored as a 1 or 2 seed in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs.
The Philadelphia 76ers have had quite a season.
Joel Embiid was playing at an MVP level before getting hurt and missing 39 games, which saw the 76ers plummet in the Eastern Conference standings before winning eight straight games to be the 7-seed. A hard-fought win over the Miami Heat got the 76ers into the NBA Playoffs and a first-round matchup against the 2-seed New York Knicks.
Despite the turmoil, the 76ers are a rare favorite as a No. 7 seed against the Knicks, as they’re currently a -115 favorite (Knicks are -105) at DraftKings, while the series is a toss-up at others.
If the 76ers are favorites, it would be only the second time in the past 25 years that a 1 or 2 seed was an underdog in a first-round series, according to Evan Abrams of The Action Network.
Knicks (+100) are slight series underdogs vs. the Sixers (-120) in Round 1 as the two seed.
They are just the second 1 or 2 seed to be a dog in Round 1 over the last 25 years — (2) Suns vs. (7) Lakers in '21, PHX won 4-2. pic.twitter.com/arCYMb2chP
— Evan Abrams (@EvanHAbrams) April 18, 2024
The other time was the 7-seed Los Angeles Lakers being favorites in 2021 against the 2-seed Phoenix Suns. The Suns won that series in six games.
Does that portend good things for the Knicks? New York fans certainly hope so.