The New York Knicks will take eight days of rest into Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, while the San Antonio Spurs will have barely 48 hours to recover after their brutal seven-game Western Conference Finals series.
Yet, the Spurs open as 4.5-point favorites in Game 1 — a betting line that has left many analysts surprised.
The odds are also a little surprising since the Knicks beat the Spurs 2-1 in the regular season, including their dominant 124-113 win in the NBA Cup Final last December.
As for the entire series, the Spurs — who have home-court advantage — open as -220 favorites to win their first championship in the Victor Wembanyama era.
Knicks Have Rest Advantage
In recent years, teams that’ve taken 5+ days of rest into Game 1 of the NBA Finals have had a significant advantage. In 2023, for example, a well-rested Denver Nuggets team blew out the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Finals after the Heat had endured a brutal seven-game series against the Boston Celtics in the East Finals. Denver would win the first two games convincingly against a bruised and battered Heat team.
Similarly, in 2022, the Golden State Warriors had a week off before the NBA Finals, while Boston needed seven games to beat the Heat in the East Finals and had only 48 hours to prepare. While the C’s jumped out to a 2-1 lead, they lost three in a row as injuries and fatigue caught up to Ime Udoka’s team.
One wonders if the Knicks will enjoy a similar advantage against a young Spurs team that played its first-ever seven-game series in its current iteration.
Knicks vs Spurs NBA Finals
A scout who spoke to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps explained why the Spurs, who won 62 games in the regular season, have earned the right to start as favorites. However, he reckons the Knicks, on a historic 11-game winning streak, have the momentum.
“I think I still give the Spurs the advantage, but there’s a nagging thing from the end of this game: With all the emotion, it immediately hit me that they may have a hangover coming out of this series,” the scout said previewing the NBA Finals.
“The Knicks have the problem of being off for a long time, so you can say that’s its own issue, but it just seems San Antonio put so much into this series … have they already slayed their dragon? Is there any chance the Knicks take advantage early in the series?
“….The Knicks have more of a chance than I thought they did a few weeks ago, but I’m still picking San Antonio in this series.”
Game 1 of the Knicks vs Spurs NBA Finals tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
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