Knicks fans have longed to see it. Game 1 of the NBA Finals live from San Antonio on Wednesday night.
The Knicks have been rolling as winners of 11 straight, while the Spurs just made it through a grueling series against the Thunder.
They have had just three days of rest to lick their wounds after beating Oklahoma City on Saturday, while the Knicks have sat for nine days waiting for the winner of the Western Conference Finals.
Mike Brown’s group has played just four games in 22 days.
They will have a clear rest advantage, but that hasn’t stopped oddsmakers from making them five-point underdogs on Wednesday.
I’ve laid out why I think the Knicks will eventually win this series, but it could be a while before we get there, as their advantages really stem from stamina, rest, and physicality, which I think will wear down their opponent.
The best game we can look back to is the Knicks’ 114-89 win over the Spurs on March 1, when most of the rotations were the same as they are now, and everyone was basically healthy.
The Knicks dominated the glass (54 to 41) and held the Spurs to 26.5 percent shooting from 3-point range. They also forced 22 turnovers with five steals by Mikal Bridges.
Against the Spurs, this should be the Bridges show, as he will get the most favorable perimeter matchups.
Betting on the NBA?
I like the idea of laddering Bridges’ points Overs with his lowest total coming in at 14.5 points, which he has cleared in four straight games and eight of their last nine playoff games.
You could go as high as 24.5 points, which is coming in at a massive price on Kalshi right now (+1236), while the rest of the betting market is much more bullish. That same prop is +750 at Fanatics sportsbook.
I like the Knicks to win the game outright, with odds of +170, as my model has them favored here.
THE PLAY: Knicks moneyline (+170, Kalshi) | Mikal Bridges over 14.5 points laddered to 25+ (+1236, Kalshi)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.
