NBA Finals Game 1 betting tips & preview | Wednesday, June 3

The NBA Finals begin in San Antonio as the Spurs host the Knicks in Game 1. See our best bets, odds and player prop predictions.

Sports Betting Tips

by Ky Pitstock

June 1, 2026 0

The 2025/26 NBA Finals get underway in San Antonio, with the Spurs hosting the New York Knicks in Game 1 after a dramatic run through the Western Conference.

San Antonio booked their place in the Finals by taking down the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7, with Victor Wembanyama again leading the way and the Spurs getting timely help from their supporting cast. New York arrive with fresher legs after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East, giving Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and the rest of the Knicks a long reset before the championship series.

Here are our top NBA Finals Game 1 betting tips, with odds from the best NBA bookmakers.

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San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks

Game 1: Wednesday, June 3 – 8:30pm EST – Frost Bank Center, San Antonio
The Spurs come home after a bruising Western Conference Finals win over OKC, and while Wembanyama will be the centre of everything New York plan for defensively, San Antonio have a few value scorers who can hurt the Knicks if too much attention goes toward the big man.

De’Aaron Fox is the key veteran piece for the Spurs. He has already shown he can put a big scoring number on the Knicks in San Antonio, and Game 1 gives him the chance to set the tone again on the Finals stage. If New York load up on Wembanyama, Fox should get lanes to attack and enough late-clock looks to push his points total higher than expected.

New York will back their defence, but their offence also sets up well for OG Anunoby to get clean perimeter looks. Brunson and Towns will attract plenty of help, and if the Spurs collapse too far into the paint, Anunoby should be one of the main Knicks left open on the kick-out.

The other name to watch is Keldon Johnson, who came through the OKC series with real confidence. He does not need the offence built around him to score quickly, and against a Knicks side that looks a more manageable matchup than the Thunder, he has a live chance to clear a double-figure milestone at a big price.