Knicks' trade for Karl-Anthony Towns gives them a slight boost to their NBA Finals prospects

Karl-Anthony Towns is a slight boon to the Knicks' NBA Finals chances, oddsmakers tell The Post.

The Knicks rose to +500 at BetRivers Sportsbook, the second-highest odds of any team in the NBA, behind only the Boston Celtics (+300).

Meanwhile, ESPN tells BET The Post that the Knicks are in pole position for one of the NBA's top seeds.

“There was some movement in the Knicks championship winners, conference winners and overall wins following Friday night’s trade news,” an ESPN BET sportsbook trader told The Post. “KAT's scoring ability and versatility as a big man fills a void for the Knicks and improves the overall offense of an already very good team.” If Towns can repeat his form from last season's playoffs, the Knicks should be high seeded and capable to play in a playoff series with every team/“

ESPN BET added that the Knicks' win total increased from 53.5 to 54.5, with a significant juice of -130 in the over.

An overall win projection of 54.5 is the third-highest win total in the NBA, behind only the Celtics (58.5) and Thunder (56.5).

New York went from +800 to +700 with news of the Knicks' acquisition of Towns.

Since then, the Knicks have had some setbacks as they have settled back down to +750, tied for second-best with the 76ers.

Philadelphia was long considered the winner of the offseason when it got rid of James Harden and miraculously signed Paul George while he still had cap space.

Betting on the NBA?

That conversation has clearly unfolded again with Towns, a New Jersey native, joining trade partner Mikal Bridges, who was also acquired.

The Knicks' final signing list of the offseason is expected to end with Towns, Bridges, Cameron Payne and Marcus Morris Sr.

Last year, the Knicks traded away RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, other supporting role players and a ton of draft capital to prepare for the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.

Why you should trust New York Post Betting

Erich Richter is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt, but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During football season, he made huge profits in the player prop market during his final two seasons at The Post. Although he is constantly betting on distance, his return on investment since 2022 is 30.15 percent.