2011 NBA Playoffs Odds and Preview – New York Knicks Top Eastern Conference Longshot to Bet On

2011 NBA Playoffs Odds, Lines and Predictions – New York Knicks Top Eastern Conference Sleeper Team to Place Bet on to Win NBA Finals: When deciding which teams to place a bet on for the upcoming NBA playoffs, there are essentially four types of teams. There are the favorites, the underdogs, the teams that just don’t have a shot, and last but not least, the teams with that slight chance of making a surprise run. It is this last group that can deliver a big payday to the bettors willing to take the risk. Looking at the Eastern Conference, one team stands out as a longshot worth gambling on.

Despite being just two games over .500, the New York Knicks (25/1 odds to Win East, 50/1 odds to win NBA Finals) are capable of making a surprise run through the playoffs. Trading for Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups is forcing the Knicks to rethink their entire offensive strategy in the middle of the season, but it also gives them enough overall talent to go toe-to-toe with the top teams in the conference.

That’s not to say there hasn’t been a serious adjustment period. At one point, New York dropped nine out of 10 games, including six straight. Some of the losses even came against sub .500 teams like Indiana, Cleveland and Milwaukee. However, the Knicks have also defeated the likes of Orlando and Miami since acquiring Anthony and Billups.

New York is currently riding a five-game winning streak, and it is clear that Amar’e Stoudemire and Anythony are starting to gel. Granted, the Knicks are going to be a work in progress for the rest of the season, and there are going to games when they look completely lost on both ends of the court. However, the Knicks don’t have to be a cohesive unit every game to win the title. They are going to make the playoffs, and they only have to play well enough in four out of seven games to advance each round.

Billups provides the Knicks with championship experience, and Anythony and Stoudemire rival Dwyane Wade and LeBron James for the best 1-2 scoring punch in the Eastern Conference. They are probably never going to lock anyone down on the defensive end, but they have enough offensive firepower to give any team they come against fits.

Changing the entire makeup of the roster late in the season was risky, and the team the Knicks started the year with might even be able to beat the current squad in a one-game playoff. That being said, New York’s original roster wasn’t going to make any noise in the playoffs, and the current roster at least has a chance. Bettors should by no means expect the Knicks to be money in the bank, but in terms of a longshot that actually has a chance, New York fits the mold. There is no substitute for star power when it comes to winning a title, and the Knicks have plenty of it.

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