Advertisement

NBA betting: Knicks, of all teams, have been NBA's best bet this season

It has been a while since the New York Knicks were a good investment for bettors.

The Knicks have stumbled around for years. The last time they made the playoffs was 2013. A new podcast series took a deep-dive look into the dysfunction of the franchise.

A funny thing happened while all the old stories about the Knicks were being dredged up. They have been winning. And, for bettors, they keep covering.

There are some strong teams in the NBA this season, but nobody has been better against the spread than the Knicks.

Knicks cover again on Sunday

On Sunday, the line for the Knicks' game against the New Orleans Pelicans at BetMGM moved from the Knicks as 1.5-point favorites to the Pelicans as 1.5-point favorites. That line move looked good late in the game.

The Knicks trailed by three late, but the Pelicans made a mental error and didn't foul Derrick Rose, then when Lonzo Ball helped on Rose in the lane for some reason, it opened up a game-tying 3-pointer for Reggie Bullock. Julius Randle, who is having a tremendous season, helped the Knicks get the win in overtime.

That was the ninth straight time the Knicks have covered the spread. The last time they failed to cover was April 2. In that nine-game stretch, they have won four times straight up as an underdog, making moneyline bettors very happy.

At 36-21-1, the Knicks have been the best team in the NBA against the spread this season, according to Action Network's standings. Bet you didn't see that one coming.

Julius Randle (30) and RJ Barrett are two big reasons for the Knicks' resurgence this season. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Knicks beat their season win total already

Before the season, the over/under win total on the Knicks at BetMGM was 22.5. New York blew by that weeks ago. The Knicks are 31-27, in the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are just a half game out of the No. 4 spot, which would mean they'd have home-court advantage for a first-round playoff series.

Tom Thibodeau rides his teams hard and is getting results in New York. Randle has gone from good to great this season. RJ Barrett is scoring 17.3 points per game in his second season. The Knicks' guard depth has been a big asset all season.

Against-the-spread records aren't always predictive. Oddsmakers will adjust when a team continues to cover, and those ATS records usually even out. Bettors are already thankful to the Knicks this season for plenty of wins, whether or not they can keep their great hot streak going.

More from Yahoo Sports: