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Jalen Brunson looks for a call during Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
The Spurs are finally on the board in the NBA Finals, and now we have a series.
The Knicks saw their epic 13-game win streak end in Game 3 of the Finals on a chaotic night at Madison Square Garden, and the odds for Game 4 couldn’t be closer.
The Knicks opened as 1.5-point favorites in Game 4 at BetMGM, matching the closing line before tip-off on Monday night.
The Game 4 spread reflects just how close this series has been thus far — every game has been tight down the stretch, with the game in the balance with a minute to go.
The Knicks were down by 3 with 30 seconds and down by 2 with less than 10 seconds to go, but couldn’t get the necessary stop on defense to get the ball back with a chance to tie or win the game.
Spurs point guard De’Aaron Fox hit a clutch mid-range jumper over OG Anunoby to push the Spurs’ lead to 5 points with 12 seconds left.
Anunoby followed up with a difficult corner 3-pointer, then Stephon Castle iced the game with two big free throws.
The spread shows sportsbooks still aren’t giving the Knicks as much respect as they gave the Spurs, who opened as 5.5-point favorites for Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio.
The Knicks are now 13-4 against the spread in the postseason compared to the Spurs, who are 13-8 ATS.
Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts after shooting a 3-pointer. Getty ImagesThe Knicks still remain the favorites to win the Finals, but the line has shifted from Knicks -500 before Game 3 to Knicks -200 after.
The first three games of the series have all been won by the road team thus far, which means underdogs have cashed in three straight games. But the underlying metrics that could determine who wins Game 4 are turnovers and assists.
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The Knicks won the turnover battle in the first two games of the series, but gave up 21 points off turnovers in Game 3. They also fell short of 20 assists for just the second time in the postseason. The other game was their last loss against against the Hawks in Atlanta.
Wednesday’s Game 4 hinges on whether the Knicks can make the right adjustments and defend home court or the Spurs can rally to tie the series and turn the NBA Finals into a best-of-three series.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
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