Can the Spurs respond on the road, or will the Knicks move one step closer to a title? Key betting angles for NBA Finals Game 3
President Donald Trump will be in attendance tonight at Madison Square Gardens for Game 3 of the NBA Final between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, with the Knicks up in the series 2-0.
So it’s going to be a wild scene between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in Midtown Manhattan.
Will the chaos that will accompany Trump’s appearance (box or courtside?) impact the actual game and as an extension betting volume and trends?
Yes, it will. There’s going to be an energy not seen in New York City in decades, maybe not since the NHL’s New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994.
New York is a Knicks’ town, though, and with the team in control of the NBA Final, after taking two games in San Antonio, and looking at their first championship since 1973, there’s going to be a home-court advantage tonight like we’ve never seen before., as Trump would say.
So there’s the Madison Square Garden factor at play for sports bettors. Other factors sports bettors need to weigh is if Victor Wembanyama can dominate the paint for the Spurs, since he’s been pulled away from his rim-protecting role. If Wemby can establish himself inside tonight, then it’s a different game for the Spurs.
Then there’s Jalen Brunson and the clutch factor. Brunson is a beast, the most clutch late-game player in this series, probably the playoffs.
The Knicks are big -450 betting favourites at Betway to take the title now, with the Spurs +350, and an opportunity tonight to push San Antonio to the brink of elimination.
BEST BETS
San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks, tonight, 8:30 p.m. EST, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Knicks lead best-of-seven series 2-0
In NBA betting on Betway, the Knicks are -125 favourites on the moneyline, with the Spurs at +110. Against the spread, the Knicks are -2.5 (-105) and the Spurs +2.5 (-115). The total is 216.5 points, with both the Over and Under priced at -110.
Under 216.5 (-110)
The first two games of the series finished with 200 and 209 total points. Unless one of the teams starts shooting the lights out from three-point range, that total feels high to me.
Both teams play tough defence.
Knicks to Win (-125)
One of the big pluses in the Knicks’ favour has been the play of Karl-Anthony Towns, who has helped keep Wemby in check.
There are some media types out there giving Towns love for MVP.
Betting markets too. At Betway, it’s Brunson for MVP, at -110, then Towns at +175. Do you go with the guy at 26.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 6.8 APG, or do you go with the guy who has limited the superstar who plays for the other team?
Either way it’s a good problem to have.
The Knicks are on a 13-game playoff win streak.
Mikal Bridges Points, Assists and Rebounds Over 19.5 (-125)
The more success the Spurs have at trapping and containing Brunson, the more room that gives Bridges as a secondary creator. In Game 2 he totalled 32 here, in Game 1 it was 15.
I will also sprinkle some coins on Wembanyama at 14+ plus rebounds (+200), to counter the Knicks focus for tonight.
