The NBA Finals head back to Frost Bank Center in San Antonio for Game 5 on Saturday night. The New York Knicks hold a 3-1 series lead, needing one more victory over the Spurs for the first NBA championship since 1973. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Here are our best NBA Finals picks & predictions for Saturday, June 13th.
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Saturday’s Best NBA Finals Picks & Predictions
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All bets are for 1 unit
New York Knicks (+166) at San Antonio Spurs (-198) | O/U 216.5 (-112/-108)
The Knicks are on the verge of an NBA title, and it almost feels like this team is destined to raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
In Game 4, the Spurs were looking for a second consecutive victory as they sought to regain home-court advantage and level the series 2-2. San Antonio got off to a great start, leading 76-49 at halftime. The Spurs built a lead as large as 29 points and led for 97% of the game. Yet, they still lost.
The Knicks held the Spurs to just 30 points in the entire second half, outscoring San Antonio 58-30. It was the second-largest comeback in NBA postseason history, and easily the biggest comeback in the NBA Finals.
The Spurs went 11-of-16 from behind the three-point line in the first half, but they were just 3-of-17 from downtown in the second half. It was, literally, a tale of two halves. The Spurs shot just 4-of-20 (20%) from the field in the third quarter, as New York sliced the lead to 90-75.
The game was very similar to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, when the Knicks turned a 22-point deficit into a springboard victory.
San Antonio was clinging to a 106-105 lead with 1.2 seconds left, and Jalen Brunson missed a three-point attempt. However, it bounced up, and OG Anunoby lightly tipped it home for the game-winning shot, as the Knicks posted the 107-106 win.
New York failed to cover as a 1.5-point favorite, which is really difficult to do, yet still won. The home team is 0-4 against the spread (ATS) in this series, with the under going 3-1 in four games.
It’s the first time since Games 2 and 3 of their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks that the Knicks haven’t covered in back-to-back games in the postseason. Prior to Game 3, New York had covered eight in a row and went 12-1 ATS over a 13-game span, including the Game 3 loss at Madison Square Garden.
Victor Wembanyama did his best, going for 24 points and 13 rebounds in Game 4. Brunson had a game-best 36 points, and Anunoby posted 33 points, including the all-important two points on the put-back winner.
Let’s take the Knicks catching 5.5 points, as the margin of victory for the winning side has been one, four and one point in the past three games of this series. We should have another super close game. The under is 3-1, so let’s keep going low on the total.
If you’re really adventurous, consider backing the Knicks on the Moneyline (+166). We could see a huge, inspired comeback from the Spurs in Game 5, extending their season. But they could be damaged beyond repair after blowing it in Game 4. San Antonio could also really lay an egg at home, with the Knicks hoisting a trophy.
Picks: Knicks +5.5 (-115) & Under 216.5 Points (-108)
Joe Williams is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Joe, check out his archive and follow him @winwithjoe