Game 2 of the NBA Finals tips off tonight as bettors weigh Spurs momentum, Knicks adjustments, and key player prop markets
We scored on the Game 1 NBA Finals pick Wednesday night, as the New York Knicks covered as a 4.5-point road underdog, beating the Spurs at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, 105-95. That’s 12 playoff wins in a row for the Knicks.
Guard Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 30 points, so we scored on the 25+ Over there as well.
Not that I am bragging. I had Vegas Golden Knights at plus money to win last night in the NHL Final, and the Carolina Hurricanes broke my heart in overtime. (Still, I put money down before the series started on Vegas to win the Cup and Mitch Marner to win MVP, and I’m looking good there, with the series heading back to Las Vegas).
A telling stat from Game 1 – 7-foot-4 league Victor Wembanyama (he lost out in the NBA MVP race to Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) shot 6-for-21 from the field, despite finishing Game 1 with a team-high 26 points and 12 rebounds.
The Spurs were 32-for-89 from the field.
The Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson, dealing with a broken finger, is probable for tonight. That’s the only injury news.
BEST BETS
New York Knicks at San Antonio Spurs, 8:30 p.m. EST, tonight, Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, Texas
In NBA betting at Betway, the Spurs are solid betting favourites on the Moneyline, at -225, while the Knicks are +185. The Spurs are -6.5 on the Spread (-105), the Knicks +6.5 (-115). The Over/Under is 215.5 (O -105, U -115).
Spurs Against the Spread -6.5 (-105)
I look for Wembanyama to have a bounce back game. Not that Game 1 was anything troubling. A “bounce back” for Wembanyama means north of 15 rebounds, skating closer to 30 points.
This is a young team that wilted later in Game 1, understandable since the Thunder took them to a seventh game in the previous series, an emotional, drawn-out affair. The Knicks were more rested, since they took out the Cleveland Cavaliers in four straight.
Even factoring that in, the Spurs had the Knicks down by double digits in Game 1.
Over 215.5 (-105)
That number seems light to me, especially factoring in what I expect to see from Wembanyama tonight.
Both the Spurs and Knicks didn’t exactly set the world on fire with their offensive performances Wednesday.
I look at what the Knicks have been doing on the road these playoffs: Averaging 121 points, including some dominating games (140-89 over the Hawks in Atlanta in the Conference First Round, 144-114 over the 76ers in Philadelphia in the Conference Semifinals).
The Spurs win tonight and tie the series, but the Knicks on the road these playoffs, and a Wemby course correction, puts that total score Over 215.5.
Victor Wembanyama Over 39.5 Points and Rebounds (-120)
There it is, for Wemby. He still hit 38 combined points and rebounds in Game 1, just under the 39.5 line, despite that 6-for-21 shooting line. He had 12 rebounds in 38 minutes played.
Granted, the playoffs are a different beast than the regular season, but Wemby had a strong output against the Knicks on home court earlier in the season (31 points, 13 rebounds).
