Very few people gave the Miami Heat much of a chance of knocking off the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, but they proved all their doubters wrong. Not only did the Heat win the series, but they used several heroic performances from Jimmy Butler to put the Bucks away in just five games, setting up a second round matchup with the New York Knicks. The early Heat-Knicks series odds show Butler’s Heat are once again playing the role of underdog.
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Heat-Knicks Series Odds: Sportsbooks Still Have Jimmy Butler as the Underdog
Per DraftKings Sportsbook, the Knicks (-155) open as the favorites over the Heat (+130) in the second round. New users at DraftKings can also get a boost when getting in on the NBA Playoffs action by benefitting from a promo giving $150 in bet credits with any $5 bet!
While the Heat proved they are a different animal come playoff time, the Knicks certainly made a statement in the first round, as well. Coming in as the series underdogs against Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Knicks used a stout defense and clutch performances from guard Jalen Brunson to win the first round series in five games.
But Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau knows all too well what Butler is capable of from their days together with the Chicago Bulls. Despite the clear storyline, Butler is dismissing the narrative, keeping his focus solely on the task at hand.
“Honestly you’re asking the wrong person. I don’t care who we play. We’ve just got to beat them four times. I understand you’re trying to hype it up. But we’re going to go out there and compete. We’re going to be the better group. And we’re going to be together through good and through bad, just like we were in this series. So whether we play in Miami, whether we play in the Garden or we play in Rucker Park, we need to win four games,” he said, per Clutch Points.
Butler’s first round performance furthered his resume and reputation as one of the very best cold-blooded players in the entire league. He has proven time and time again that he is up to the challenge regardless of who his opponent may be.
It is unlikely that very many people saw a Heat vs. Knicks second round series coming in the Eastern Conference, but here we are. Based on the opening Heat-Knicks series odds, New York has a slight edge. But expect a thrilling back-and-forth series between these two hungry teams.
