The San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks do battle in a pivotal Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. Here’s a Knicks vs Spurs Prediction. This article will include a Knicks vs Spurs Pick.
San Antonio Spurs Betting Preview
The San Antonio Spurs will be hoping to bounce back and make their mark in this series after falling painfully short to the Knicks in a heartbreaking 105-104 loss in Game 2 on Friday night. Victor Wembenyama led the team with 29 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and four blocks. De’Aaron Fox added 20 points with five assists on eight of 12 shooting. Dylan Harper provided the spark off the bench with 15 points, while Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle each scored 14 points.
As a team, the Spurs shot 47 percent from the field and 11 of 29 from the 3-point line as they got off to another strong start and poured in 34 points in the first quarter to open up an early 12-point lead, but it didn’t last long at all as they were trailing by halftime. The Spurs had to work hard to overcome a 14-point deficit to take the lead with just 57.3 seconds left on the clock, but they allowed the Knicks to tie the score and then turned the ball over with just 9.5 seconds left on the clock to surrender the lead back to the Knicks. The Spurs still had time for a quick shot and a possible offensive rebound, but poor time management in the clutch really cost them in the end.
New York Knicks Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks came into the NBA Finals as the underdogs, but they are now firmly in control of the series after taking a 2-0 series lead following their dramatic win on Friday night. Karl-Anthony Towns had another great game for the Knicks as he led the team with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists on eight of 12 shooting. Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson each scored 20 points, while OG Anunoby chipped in with 17 points, two steals, and two blocks.
As a team, the Knicks shot just 42 percent from the field and 15 of 38 from the 3-point line as they weathered an early barrage from the Spurs and looked to be in full control after leading by 14 points late in the third quarter. However, the Knicks allowed the Spurs back into the contest, and the game looked headed for overtime until the Knicks capitalized on a timely turnover from the Spurs’ Wembenyama in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. Josh Hart finished scoreless in just 18 minutes of action, and Brunson had a rough shooting night as he made just seven of 25 from the field, but the Knicks had plenty of other players step up.
Why the New York Knicks will win
- The Knicks have won each of their last 13 games.
- The Spurs have lost each of their last six games at Madison Square Garden.
- The Knicks have covered the spread in each of their last 10 games following a road win.
- The Spurs have failed to cover the spread in each of their last five games against Knicks teams that held a winning record.
Why the San Antonio Spurs will win
- The underdogs have won five of the Spurs’ last six NBA Finals games.
- The Knicks have failed to cover the spread in each of their last six games as favorites against Southwest Division opponents.
- The Spurs have covered the spread in 11 of their last 12 games after losing as favorites.
Total Points Facts
- Each of the Spurs’ last seven road games has gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of the Knicks’ last six games as favorites following a road win have gone OVER the total points line.
- Fifteen of the last 17 NBA Finals games have gone UNDER the total points line.
New York Knicks Player Facts
- Karl-Anthony Towns has recorded 11+ rebounds in three consecutive appearances – equal-longest active streak of any player in the league (including playoffs).
- Jose Alvarado has scored 164 career points against the Spurs – most against any opponent (including playoffs).
San Antonio Spurs Player Facts
- Victor Wembanyama ranks 1st amongst qualified players for blocks per game (3.1) this season.
- Luke Kornet has recorded 39 games with 1+ assists and zero turnovers this season – most of any player in the league.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Knicks rank 1st in the league for opponent offensive rebounds per game this season (10.0).
- The Knicks rank 1st in the league for Q4 opponent points per game this season (25.3).
- The Spurs rank 1st in the league for Q1 points per game this season (31.9).
- The Spurs rank 1st in the league for H1 points per game this season (62.2).
Knicks vs Spurs Prediction
The Spurs will need to change things up before they run out of time, and that probably starts with them providing Wembenyama with more early touches closer to the basket to make everything easier for the role players. As for the Knicks, they probably couldn’t be any happier as they’ve looked like a well-oiled machine during these playoffs, and they’ve matched up well in this series thanks largely to Towns, who is making a strong case for Finals MVP if he continues his hot form.
The pressure is fully on the Spurs to bounce back and avoid falling into a 0-3 series deficit, but you just know that things will only get tougher in New York in front of those starving Knicks fans. Just about everything points to the Knicks, who are currently on a historic 13-game playoff win streak, but to be fair, the Spurs could’ve won Game 2, and it’s hard to picture them getting swept.
If you are looking at betting the total, I would be leaning towards the over, as each of the Spurs’ last seven road games has gone over the total match points line, but looking at the result, I prefer a play on the Knicks, who are just too tempting at the short line at home in their most anticipated game of the last few decades.