The San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks will meet in Game 1 of the NBA Finals this Wednesday. With the Spurs coming off a grueling, seven-game series against the Thunder and the Knicks rested after sweeping the Cavaliers, there are plenty of angles to explore.
Let's get into my NBA Finals picks and alternate line bets for Spurs vs. Knicks Game 1 on Wednesday, June 3.
NBA Finals Picks, Alternate Line Bets for Spurs vs Knicks Game 1
Julian Champagnie Prop Bets
The Spurs and Knicks will be trying to kill each other from the corners in this series, as both teams have hunted the most corner threes in the playoffs so far. And both ways make sense.
On one hand, you need to stretch out Victor Wembanyama to the perimeter, and generating quality corner looks is a helpful way to do it.
On the other side, the same could be said for the versatile Knicks defense, which will still primarily be backlined by Karl-Anthony Towns — and while he’s had a solid defensive playoff run, San Antonio will attempt to find pathways to put that to the test in ways the 76ers and Cavaliers didn’t.
Both teams will be playing pick-your-poison basketball, and the Knicks will likely concede three-point attempts to Julian Champagnie, the Brooklyn native who played at Bishop Loughlin in high school.
Champagnie is shooting 39.3 percent from deep in the postseason, hitting 46-for-117 from deep, and he has made two or more threes in 15-of-18 games, which is why he’s so heavily juiced to make at least a couple from downtown.
So for Game 1, we’ll take a shot at over 2.5 for +125 on BetMGM.
He’s made over 2.5 three-pointers in 7-of-18 playoff games. In five of those seven, Champagnie made four or more threes, which includes two games of five or more makes, including his playoff career-high of six triples converted during Game 7 last Saturday.
If he hits eight attempts per game again this series, as he did in the West Finals, we’re going to have a shot at a few games of three or more makes for the third straight series.
Of the seven playoff games of three or more makes from deep, three of which came last series against the Thunder, and three from the round prior against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Spurs vs Knicks Game 1 Player Props
- Julian Champagnie to Make 3+ Threes (+125) – MGM
- Julian Champagnie to Make 4+ Threes (+300) – FD
- Julian Champagnie to Make 5+ Threes (+750) – FD
Mikal Bridges Prop Bets
Speaking of pick your poison, Mikal Bridges or OG Anunoby? Or Jalen Brunson? Or KAT? If the Spurs could help it, Josh Hart would take all the shots and the Knicks would live and die with that. But that’s not how this sport works.
Bridges went from being unbettable during the regular season to being a go-to option for many these playoffs.
Simple ladder here: 15, 18, 20.
There’s a chance he is guarded primarily by De’Aaron Fox or Devin Vassell, depending on how the Spurs scheme this defensively, which would be good for Bridges, who is the Knicks’ best cutter and will look to provide constant movement from corner to corner and peel around screens to get to his patented mid-range jumpers and possible backdoor finishes.
He has also been really good in transition and has finished at the rim a lot more in the playoffs than he was during the regular season – that will be more likely in the non-Wemby minutes, or in transition, of course.
Bridges has scored 15+ in four straight games, and in eight of his last nine nine. Of those eight overs, he has scored 18+ in six and 20+ in three.
Spurs vs Knicks Game 1 Player Props
- Mikal Bridges to Score 15+ Points (-102) – FD
- Mikal Bridges to Score 18+ Points (+198) – FD
- Mikal Bridges to Score 20+ Points (+320) – FD
