The New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs duke it out in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at the Frost Bank Center on Wednesday night.
New York Knicks Betting Preview
The New York Knicks battled past the Hawks in six games in the First Round but they followed that by sweeping the 76ers and the Cavaliers to book their tickets to the NBA Finals. Jalen Brunson has been rock solid for the Knicks during these playoffs with averages of 26.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game, OG Anunoby is averaging 19.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game, Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 16.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game while Josh Hart is averaging 11.4 points with 8.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. As a team, the Knicks are scoring 119.9 points per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from the 3-point line. The Knicks don’t have home-court advantage but they should be well rested for this one as they haven’t played since last Monday which gives them plenty of extra preparation time.
San Antonio Spurs Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs took five games to blow past the Trail Blazers in the First Round, but they needed six games against the Timberwolves before they rallied past the Thunder in a thrilling Game 7 win on Saturday. Victor Wembenyama has been averaging 23.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.5 blocks per game, Stephon Castle is averaging 19.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game while De’Aaron Fox is averaging 16.4 points and 5.9 assists per game. As a team, the Spurs are scoring 115.3 points per game while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from the 3-point line. Julian Champagnie has really stepped up his game during these playoffs with a few big games while Devin Vassell looks to be in career-best form.
New York v San Antonio Free Prediction
These teams met just twice in the regular season with each team winning their game at home. I mentioned the Knicks extra rest time above, but what I didn’t talk about was how dominant they’ve been over their last 11 games as they’ve been running through teams and they are just looking like a well-oiled machine. On the other hand, the Spurs haven’t always looked smooth on offense, but their role players are stepping up and they still have Wembenyama with home-court advantage.
The Knicks have really stepped up on the offensive end during these playoffs and they might able to pull Wembenyama away from the paint if Karl-Anthony Towns can get hot from behind the arc, so at this stage I am predicting the Spurs to win in seven games, but for the Knicks to kick things off with a win on the road.