Get ready for Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs (62-20) against Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks (53-29) in an exciting 2026 NBA Finals matchup. The Spurs are the favorite at -210, and the Knicks are an underdog at +170, according to BetMGM.
The Spurs seek their first championship since 2014. Under former head coach Gregg Popovich, the franchise won five titles, including their first championship against the Knicks in the 1999 NBA Finals.
The Knicks are back in the finals for the first time in 27 years. Championship Fever has descended upon New York as the Knicks attempt to end a 53-year drought with their first title since 1973.
From San Antonio to the Finals: Spurs Deny Thunder’s Repeat Bid
With the #2 seed, the Spurs knocked out the #7 Portland Trail Blazers in five games in the opening round. They picked off the #6 Minnesota Timberwolves in six games in the second round. The Spurs clinched the Western Conference crown by dethroning the #1 Oklahoma City Thunder in a highly physical seven-game series.
From NYC to the Finals: Knicks Cruise Through the East
As the #3 seed, the Knicks steamrolled a wide-open Eastern Conference. They enter the NBA Finals on an 11-game winning streak, including back-to-back series sweeps. The Knicks beat the #6 Atlanta Hawks in six games, before sweeping the #8 Philadelphia 76ers in the second round and the #4 Cleveland Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Spurs Starting Five: Young Guns
The Spurs’ starting line has an average age of 24, with four players under 25. Their two stars are just 21 and 22 years old.
Victor Wembanyama leads the Spurs with 23.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game. Stephon Castle (19.2 ppg, 6.7 assists) anchors the backcourt alongside veteran playmaker De’Aaron Fox (16.4 ppg, 5.9 assists). Devin Vassell (13.0 ppg) and Julian Champagnie (11.3 ppg, 5.8 rebounds) round out the starting five.
Knicks Starting Five: Brunson, KAT, and OG
The Knicks will ride or die with Jalen Brunson (26.9 ppg, 6.6 assists). Brunson is the NBA’s best little guy, and no one has been more clutch in late-game situations.
Karl-Anthony Towns (16.9 ppg, 10.6 rebounds) forms a dangerous pick-and-roll duo with Brunson. The offense has also been humming when Towns runs the flex offense. Towns is one of the deadliest shooting big men (48.9 percent 3PT) in the league.
OG Anunoby (19.7 ppg, 6.9 rebounds) has emerged as the Knicks’ second scoring option. Before tweaking his hamstring in the second round, Anunoby averaged 21.4 ppg and shot a team-best 59.4 percent from 3-point land.
Mikal Bridges has been outstanding over the last eight games (18.0 ppg), racking up fast break buckets and shooting 70.2 percent as a mid-range assassin. He also has yet to miss a free throw this postseason. Josh Hart picks up the slack whenever or wherever he’s needed, averaging 11.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists.
The Knicks outscored opponents by 271 points this postseason, with their two losses a combined two points. The Knicks are shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range.
Spurs Defense: Wemby Everywhere
Wembanyama impacts every possession. The youngest Defensive Player of the Year in NBA history leads the Spurs with 10.8 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. Wemby typically guards the opponent’s least threatening scorer, so he can roam freely as a help defender and elite rim protector.
Castle already battled and defeated star playmakers in Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander this postseason, but Brunson poses a unique challenge. The Spurs prefer to switch on picks, so they’ll need to avoid the Knicks hunting for favorable mismatches.
The Knicks led the league by shooting 40 percent from 3-point range, so perimeter defense is a major point of emphasis for the Spurs.
Knicks Defense: Hive Mind
The Knicks boast the league’s best 3-point defense, holding opponents to 30.5 percent. They’ll look to neutralize the Spurs’ best snipers in Champagnie (39.3 percent) and Dylan Harper (36.4 percent).
As the primary wing stopper, Mikal Bridges smothered Tyrese Maxey and James Harden in the last two series. Bridges will be tasked with slowing down Castle and Fox.
Anunoby is the NBA’s best two-way player not named Victor Wembanyama. No one defended Wemby better in the last two seasons than Anunoby. Expect Towns and Mitchell Robinson to provide defensive help against the giant. The Towns-Wemby matchup should be one of the most intriguing battles of the series. Towns also leads the Knicks in rebounding.
Hart, the Knicks’ second-best rebounder, leads the team with 1.8 steals per game. He’ll make sure Devin Vassell and Champagnie don’t get comfortable from behind the arc.
Spurs Bench: KJ and Harper
Keldon Johnson won NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors by averaging 13.2 ppg and 5.4 rebounds this season. Johnson anchors a short bench.
Rookie Dylan Harper (13.1 ppg, 5.3 rebounds) has looked like the Spurs’ second-best offensive weapon at different times this postseason.
Head coach Mitch Johnson has leaned heavily on a seven-man rotation because the Spurs cannot compete with the Knicks’ depth. When Luke Kornet saw action, the backup center played well this postseason.
Knicks Bench: Banged-Up Mitch, Shamet on Fire
The Knicks boast one of the league’s deepest benches with a mix of savvy veterans and young sharpshooters.
Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks’ best rim protector, broke his pinky in the conference finals. He underwent surgery and is expected to play in the NBA Finals. He averaged 8.8 rebounds off the bench in the regular season, while shooting 72.3 percent. When Towns got into foul trouble during the NBA Cup final against the Spurs, Robinson stepped up to keep Wemby in check.
Landry Shamet drilled several clutch shots this postseason, especially during the Knicks’ historic 22-point, fourth-quarter comeback against the Cavs. Shamet averaged 9.8 ppg off the bench in the conference finals. He’s shooting 60 percent from 3-point land this postseason and knocked down 11 out of his last 12 attempts.
The dangerous Miles ‘Deuce’ McBride can light it up from downtown and he’s shooting 42.9 percent from deep. Jordan Clarkson, a former Sixth Man of the Year, gives head coach Mike Brown an insurance policy against injuries or if foul trouble arises. Jose Alvarado is a fan favorite at Madison Square Garden. The Queens product and hometown hero is nicknamed ‘GTA’ for his disruptive defensive skills and ability to create steals and force turnovers.
MVP Watch: Wemby and Brunson Favorites
Wembanyama is the consensus favorite (-190) to win the NBA Finals MVP. Brunson is next at +225 odds if he leads the Knicks to their first championship since 1973.
You can back Towns at +2200 to win the MVP. The Knicks will need a dominant series from their “Bodega KAT” if they expect to hoist a championship banner at MSG. Anunoby offers the best value at +6000. He’s the Knicks’ second-best offensive threat and their top defender. If Anunoby shuts down Wemby and puts up big scoring numbers, he’ll make a strong case for MVP.
Other favorites from the Spurs include Castle (+6000) and Fox (+10000) as alternatives to Wemby.
Title Odds Tracker and ATS Records
This series feels like a coin flip because the Knicks are playing at an historic level on par with the greatest offensive teams in NBA history. Either squad can win, but the Knicks offer better value at +170 compared to the Spurs at -210.
Before the season began, the Spurs were ranked #17 on the futures board as a title long shot at +6000. The Knicks opened as a title contender, tied for third on the futures board at +850.
The Knicks saw their championship odds drift as high as +1800 when the postseason began in late April.
The Spurs are 12-6 ATS in the playoffs and 58-41 ATS overall as one of the better betting teams all season.
The Knicks are 11-3 ATS in the postseason, covering six in a row and 10 out of their last 11. They’re 55-42 ATS, including the regular season.
The Knicks went 2-1 against the Spurs during the regular season, including a victory in the NBA Cup finals in Las Vegas. Betting-wise, the Knicks went 3-0 ATS in all three meetings.
NBA Finals Prop Bet: Series Result
BetMGM offers a fun prop bet predicting the exact series outcome. Since 2005, the NBA Finals have gone a full seven games on five occasions, including last season. A six-game series has occurred eight times in the last 21 years, and a five-game series has happened six times. A four-game sweep happened twice in that span.
The Knicks winning in six games seems like a viable path without home-court advantage. That prop bet result pays +500. The Knicks winning in seven games is priced at +800.
A young team, like the Spurs this postseason, has shown a tendency to fall behind early in the series before they adjust and finish strong. If you want to back the Spurs, firing a prop bet to win in seven games pays +350. The Spurs in six pays +550.
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
