Game 3 of the NBA Finals is a make or break game for the San Antonio Spurs, as they are down 2-0 and heading on the road to play Jalen Brunson and the New York
Game 3 of the NBA Finals is a make or break game for the San Antonio Spurs, as they are down 2-0 and heading on the road to play Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks on Monday.
Oddsmakers set the Spurs as favorites to win this series ahead of Game 1, but New York is now favored at home to take a 3-0 series lead on June 8. Victor Wembanyama made a crucial turnover in Game 2 in the closing seconds, and he missed the game-winning jumper over Mitchell Robinson on the final possession. While the star center has taken a ton of free throws through two games, he’s shooting just 17-for-42 from the field.
For the Knicks, Brunson hasn’t been super efficient , but he’s made some clutch shots down the stretch of both games. Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges all came up with huge plays in Game 2 to lead the Knicks to a win. New York has not won a title in 53 years, but it is two wins away from ending that drought. Can it take a commanding 3-0 lead in Game 3?
I’m eyeing some player props, a total pick and more for Game 3 on Monday night. First, let’s take a quick look at the odds, with the Knicks favored to win. Rookie guard Dylan Harper has arguably been the Spurs’ best player in this series, averaging 15.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 54.5 percent from the field.
Harper is averaging 13.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the playoffs, and he’s cleared 20+ points and rebounds in three of his last four games, falling just shot with 19 points and rebounds in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Harper has 10 games in the playoffs with at least 20+ points and rebounds, and he’s coming off his second-highest minutes total in Game 2.
I expect an even bigger role for Harper in Game 3, and the Spurs guard continues to impress on the boards, grabbing at least six rebounds in five games in a row. Mikal Bridges OVER 13.5 Points Mikal Bridges has completely flipped the script this postseason after a rough few games against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, and he was massive in Game 2, scoring 20 points while shooting 8-for-13 from the field.
Since Game 6 against Atlanta, Bridges is averaging 17.9 points per game while shooting 62.1 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from 3 while taking 12.0 field goal attempts per game. Even though the Knicks win scored just nine points on six shots in Game 1, he’s scored 14 or more points in nine of his last 11 games.
San Antonio has put a ton of pressure on Jalen Brunson in this series, and it opened up a lot of chances for Bridges in Game 2. I think this line is a little low for the Villanova product, especially at home. The first two games of this series were extremely low-scoring, as these teams combined for 200 points in Game 1 and 209 points in Game 2.
I expect more of the same in Game 3, as these squads are No. 1 and No. 2 in defensive rating during this postseason. The Spurs were a top-three defense in the regular season, and they’ve made things tough on Jalen Brunson which has limited some of the upside of New York’s offense.
On the defensive end, the Knicks have completely clamped down on Wembanyama, and Towns is a major reason why. The Spurs’ star is just 17-for-42 in this series, and he’s benefitted in a big way from getting to the line 21 times in two games. Even with the Spurs making a late comeback in Game 2, these teams still fell short of this total.
That’s notable since they had over 100 points at the half, yet the second half saw both defenses step up in big moments. The UNDER had hit in over 53 percent of both of these team’s games in the 2025-26 season, and I think 215.5 is a little high given how close these games have been down the stretch so far in the Finals. Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting.
He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.
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