The New York Knicks opened +164 to win the NBA title versus the San Antonio Spurs at FanDuel.
They were +158 to win Game 1 when I sat down to enjoy my Morning Coffee on Wednesday.
New York climbed as high as +1000 to win Game 1 outright down 14 points in the third quarter.
Despite their slow start as the underdog on the road, the Knicks made the necessary adjustments and rallied to beat San Antonio 105-95 in the series opener.
The 14-point comeback win matches the third-largest comeback in Game 1 of the NBA Finals over the last three decades.
New York has now won seven straight road games and 12 straight overall to climb within three wins of a title.
Teams that win Game 1 of the NBA Finals have gone on to win the title 70 per cent of the time (55-24).
However, the Knicks are only the sixth team in the last 30 years to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals on the road.
Five of the previous six went on to lose the series.
How did last night’s stunning comeback impact the odds?
The Knicks odds to win the title flipped from +164 to -134 at FanDuel following the Game 1 win.
The Spurs went from -196 to +114.
Meanwhile, an underdog win means that in the last 11 NBA Finals, the outright winners have gone a combined 63-3-3 against the spread.
San Antonio opened -5.5 for Game 2.
New York is +190 to take a 2-0 series lead.
Tonight, the championship focus will shift back to the NHL with Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes.
Vegas was +146 to win the Stanley Cup at FanDuel before a stunning road comeback of their own in Game 1.
The Golden Knights are now a -150 favourite to win the Stanley Cup and +136 to take a 2-0 series lead tonight.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are -164 to bounce back on home ice and +125 to win the Stanley Cup.
All the pressure is on Carolina entering Game 2.
If you’re looking for my FanDuel Best Bets for Game 2, make sure you give me a follow @Domenic_Padula on X, and I will post them there closer to puck drop.
In the meantime, regular readers of this column are aware by now of how much time I’ve spent preparing for the launch of a new CFL season and the World Cup.
Tonight, the 2026 CFL season kicks off on TSN with a clash between the top two choices to win the East Division.
Last November, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats season ended on a walk-off field goal by Jose Maltos Diaz in a 19-16 loss to the Montreal Alouettes in the Eastern Final.
Will the Tiger-Cats earn a measure of redemption against the Alouettes in tonight’s home opener?
Let’s set the stage for tonight’s CFL season kick-off in this Morning Coffee column for Thursday June 4th, 2026.
Tiger-Cats Eye Redemption Versus Grey Cup Favourite Alouettes In CFL Opener
The Tiger-Cats haven’t forgotten the sting of last season.
Bo Levi Mitchell led Hamilton to first place in the East Division and a playoff bye with an 11-7 record.
Still, it was Montreal that delivered as the favourite in the Eastern Final with a 19-16 walk-off win.
Fast-forward seven months and it’s the Alouettes that enter the 2026 CFL season as the Grey Cup favourite.
Montreal is +320 to win it all at FanDuel this morning.
Hamilton is the fourth choice at +650.
While it’s a long CFL season, it wouldn’t surprise anybody if the Tiger-Cats embraced the revenge angle for tonight’s home opener.
Veteran quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell threw a career-high 36 touchdowns last season.
Tonight, he’ll go back to work with the league’s most stacked wide receiver room, led by Kenny Lawler.
Meanwhile, running back Larry Rountree III will get the start for Hamilton after All-Star Greg Bell signed with the rival Ottawa Redblacks in the offseason.
Rountree impressed in the Tiger-Cats pre-season opener and head coach Scott Milanovich hopes he can replace Bell’s production without any drop-off at the position.
While the Redblacks added Bell, they’re still considered a longshot to win the East Division at +410.
The Toronto Argonauts are +500 as the biggest longshot to win the East Division.
That leaves the Alouettes at +125 and Tiger-Cats at +210 as the top choices to win the East at FanDuel.
As impressive as Hamilton’s roster looks on paper, their path to the 113th Grey Cup in Calgary will likely run through Montreal once again this season.
Davis Alexander is the second choice to win the CFL Regular Season Most Outstanding Player at +650.
The Alouettes are one of three teams with a regular season win total set at 10.5 at FanDuel, alongside the BC Lions and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
If Alexander can stay healthy, Montreal might be the best team in the entire CFL.
The fact that they play in the East Division and don’t have to beat out BC, Winnipeg, and the defending Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders for first place in their division certainly helps their chances to run it back.
The CFL season is a marathon, not a sprint.
Regardless, an Eastern Final rematch in Hamilton to kick off the season should have both sides fired up to prove they deserve to be considered a division favourite.
While the Alouettes came out on top when it mattered the most in last year’s playoffs, it was the Tiger-Cats that swept the two regular season meetings.
In Week 4, Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns as Hamilton cruised to a 35-17 win at home.
Then in Week 14, the Tiger-Cats dominated on the ground on their way to a 26-9 win.
Of course, Alexander wasn’t available for Montreal in either one of those losses but did play in the Alouettes win in the Eastern Final.
Will Alexander be the X-Factor for Montreal tonight?
Or will Hamilton earn a measure of redemption at home?
I’ll back the Tiger-Cats at +100 to win outright at FanDuel.
I’ll also jump on Rountree III over 49.5 rushing yards.
Hopefully, Hamilton can deliver in the season opener.
Also, make sure to check back here later today for Drew Morrison’s best bets for Week 1 in 3rd and 1.
Have a great day, everyone!
