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The New York Knicks are back in the NBA Finals.

After rolling through the Eastern Conference behind Jalen Brunson’s playoff brilliance, the Knicks now face the San Antonio Spurs after Wemby & Co. eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.

Despite New York’s dominant postseason run, NBA Finals odds immediately opened the Knicks as series underdogs, saying everything about how highly the betting market views OKC.

Before Game 1 tips off, here’s a full breakdown of the opening Knicks vs. Spurs NBA Finals odds, Finals MVP markets, and the best early betting angles.

Odds as of 5-30 via bet365. 

The New York Knicks may have entered the playoffs as the No. 3 seed, but New York hasn’t looked like an underdog for weeks.

After sweeping both the 76ers and Cavaliers in back-to-back series, the Knicks punched their ticket to the NBA Finals behind Jalen Brunson’s playoff brilliance and one of the most physical defensive identities left in the postseason.

Still, sportsbooks opened San Antonio as the favorite entering the series.

The betting market clearly respects the Spurs' depth and versatility, but the Knicks have already proven throughout this playoff run that they’re more than capable of controlling games with defense, rebounding, and clutch shot-making.

Odds as of 5-30 via bet365. 

Jalen Brunson opened as the clear betting favorite on the Knicks side after carrying New York through the Eastern Conference playoffs, while Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby also remain intriguing long-shot options entering the NBA Finals.

Still, the market continues to lean heavily toward Oklahoma City.

Victor Wembanyama opened as the overall Finals MVP favorite at -175, reflecting both the Spurs' status as series favorites and his dominant postseason run. Meanwhile, players like Stephon Castle continue to draw respect because of San Antonio’s depth and defensive versatility.

If the Knicks are going to pull off the upset, though, it’s difficult to imagine anyone other than Brunson winning the award.

The Knicks bring physicality, depth, and defensive toughness, but this series ultimately comes down to a question they may not be able to answer: how do you consistently contain Victor Wembanyama over seven games or less?

San Antonio’s ceiling is simply higher. Wemby’s two-way dominance warps matchups on both ends, and if the Spurs get even steady secondary production, they’ll be difficult to slow.

The Knicks can grind games into the mud and steal a couple with their rebounding and half-court execution, but they lack the singular superstar force to tilt a tightly contested series.

Expect a competitive, physical Finals with multiple close finishes, but San Antonio’s star power and defensive versatility give them the edge late.

Prediction: Spurs to win NBA Finals (-205)

We saw New York look a little sluggish in this same scenario for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, coming off an extended rest while their opponent just finished a seven-game series.

The Knicks trailed by as much as 22 points in the fourth quarter, but rallied back as Cleveland utterly collapsed.

The Spurs will not implode like that.

I don't think San Antonio will be up by 20+ points either, but if New York has to shake off rust in the Finals opener, the Spurs are too talented to not take advantage.

Prediction: Spurs -5 (-110)

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