For the first time since 2012, the New York Knicks are back in the playoffs. I must admit that the NBA is better when the Knicks are good, but that is a double-edged sword. The New York crazies are already out in full effect as an overwhelming majority of the media is completely writing off the Hawks.
This is wild. And not at all unexpected. I don’t do conspiracy theories. But bias is a real thing. If you don’t think the league office being in NY has anything to do with this then I don’t know what to tell you… pic.twitter.com/jMGoi8MzIq
— Glen Willis (@willis_glen) May 18, 2021
The fourth seed Knicks have home-court advantage over the fifth-seeded Hawks, but the odds reveal how oddsmakers see this series going. Those in the media will obviously favor the outcome that makes them the most money, but Vegas sees the series much closer.
The odds for the outright winner of the series is dead even with both teams set at -110, according to Fanduel. Even though the most likely outcome for the series is Knicks in six games (+440), the next best odds is Hawks in seven games (+460). If you do any sort of betting, you’d know that is an extremely insignificant difference. In fact, the odds for the series to reach six games are the same odds for the series to reach seven games (+200). Even more so, the odds after three games that the Hawks are up 2-1 are the same odds the Knicks will be up 2-1 (+152).
The media will make the Hawks look like massive underdogs because it fits their agenda, but the reality is this will be an ultra-competitive series. The Knicks are peaking at the right time as one of the best defensive teams in the league, and the Hawks are finally back healthy as one of the deepest offensive teams in the league. The series begins this Sunday.
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