New York Knicks at San Antonio Spurs: NBA Finals Game 1 Preview and Predictions
Can Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks solve Wembanyama in Game 1?
The New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs will meet for a second time in the NBA Finals when Game 1 tips off inside Frost Bank Center at 8:30 p.m. EST Wednesday.
San Antonio defeated New York in five games in the 1999 NBA Finals. Since then, the Spurs have won four more NBA championships in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014. The Knicks, meanwhile, are making their first NBA Finals appearance of the century. The Spurs have lost only one NBA Finals series, falling to the Miami Heat in 2013. The Knicks are a troubling 2-6 in NBA Finals series, looking for their first NBA crown since 1973.
The Knicks have the WWE wrestler Danhausen’s curses to aid their cause, but the Spurs’ spectacular big man Victor Wembanyama is cursing his opponents’ shooters. The Spurs, not unlike the Michigan Wolverines of 2025-26, are blocking so many shots that rival squads can’t maintain a lead, even if their shooting guards are hitting from downtown. The Knicks’ center Karl-Anthony Towns is about to take on his tallest task… (in more ways than one.)
Betting Trends: Spurs Open as Solid Favorites at Home
San Antonio is the consensus moneyline and point-spread pick in Wednesday night’s series opener, favored over New York by (-4.5) points at DraftKings. The Spurs covered ATS in each of their four victories in last round’s seven-game clash with the OKC Thunder.
The Knickerbockers’ rest advantage, earned by sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals, doesn’t seem to have led to a Knicks trend at the betting board. The Spurs boast a (-185) series price to conquer the Knicks. However, proposition betting sharks are calling a Game 7 scenario the most likely eventuality in 2026’s NBA Finals.
New York’s defense has impressed Las Vegas on its own accord, forcing 22 turnovers from Cleveland in Monday’s 130-93 blowout that clinched the conference finals in four games. That hasn’t stopped sportsbooks from handicapping a healthy O/U (218.5) point total for Wednesday’s tilt, based on the angle that New York may need to utilize a desperate fouling-game if the Knicks trail by the expected margin in Quarter 4.
Game 1 Injury Reports
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is probable with a finger injury.
Spurs forward David Jones remains out with an ankle injury.
Prediction: Knicks Will Struggle to Find a Formula Right Away
The Knicks could prove to be a steal at 1.5-to-1 series odds. New York’s offense is capable of the high tempo and quick decision-making needed to catch San Antonio unprepared on its defensive turns. Jalen Brunson’s backcourt is shooting lights-out on rapid possessions. The Spurs aren’t a cinch to outplay the Knicks on the glass. The Knicks’ deep frontcourt of Towns, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby gives New York numbers to throw at Wemby.
New York coach Mike Brown can choose to mimic the tactics of OKC’s Mark Daigneault by encouraging rough play in the paint, hoping to hurl bodies at Wembanyama and get the 7-foot-4 phenomenon in foul trouble such as he experienced in Game 7 against OKC.
Consider, though, that San Antonio’s long trek in the Western Conference Finals could be more of a blessing than a burden on Wednesday. The Spurs’ adrenaline at home won’t allow them to feel the fatigue of the OKC series just yet. If the Knicks’ rust makes them icy from the field in the first half, that gives the Spurs their chance to take a lead, and swish shots from the free-throw line if the Knicks try to make it a grudge match. The Spurs’ temporary home-court edge gives the NBA’s third-ranked foul-shooting team betting value in Game 1.
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