The 2026 NBA Finals is a rematch 27 years in the making, as it will feature the same teams who squared off in the championship series in 1999. The San Antonio Spurs won that series over the New York Knicks, in what was the Spurs’ first trip to the Finals and remains the Knicks’ last NBA Finals appearance. Game 1 of the NBA Finals 2026 will take place on Wednesday with San Antonio (62-20), the 2-seed in the West, hosting the East’s 3-seed in the Knicks (53-29). Mitchell Robinson (finger) is questionable for the Knicks.

Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. The home team has won each of the last nine regular-season meetings. San Antonio is favored by 4.5 points in the latest Spurs vs. Knicks odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 218.5. Before making any Knicks vs. Spurs picks, check out the Spurs vs. Knicks predictions from SportsLine’s Larry Hartstein. 

A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed working for Pro Football Focus. He tied for 52nd place (out of 1,598 entries) in the 2022 Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest, going 53-34-3 ATS (61 percent). Hartstein is also 100-69 over his last 169 NBA picks (+1751) and is 90-60 (+1762) over his last 150 NBA player props. Anyone following his NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

Now, Hartstein has studied Spurs vs. Knicks from every angle and just revealed his coveted NBA picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NBA odds and NBA betting lines for Knicks vs. Spurs:

Top Knicks vs. Spurs predictions

After studying Spurs vs. Knicks from every angle, Hartstein is leaning Over 218.5 total points.  Just about all of the NBA betting trends favor the Over, especially in regard to recent games. The Over is 4-1 across the Knicks’ last five games, while the Over is a staggering 10-2 over San Antonio’s last dozen contests. New York having a rest advantage also favors the total being eclipsed. The Over sports a 6-2 record over the Knicks’ last eight games following four-plus days of rest, while the Over has hit in 63% of Spurs games in which they were at a rest disadvantage.

The matchup history between these two also indicates Game 1 should be a high-scoring affair. The Over was 2-1 across their three meetings this season, averaging 235.3 combined points. Additionally, over the last nine Spurs vs. Knicks matchups, the total has been surpassed seven times, as Hartstein sees these Over trends continuing in Game 1. See his Knicks vs. Spurs spread pick at SportsLine, and you can bet the Over in Knicks vs. Spurs at FanDuel here:

How to make Spurs vs. Knicks picks

Hartstein has also found a critical x-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread, and he’s also locked in a Game 1 NBA prop bet as well. You can head to SportsLine to see Hartstein’s NBA picks. 

So who wins Knicks vs. Spurs, and what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Spurs vs. Knicks spread and which NBA prop to back, all from the expert who is on a 100-69 roll on NBA picks, and find out.

The Republic of Ireland are third in their group, but their fate remains in their own hands as they face the two teams above them – taking on the Netherlands in Cork on Friday (19:30) before travelling to France for their final fixture on Tuesday (20:00).

Win both and the Republic of Ireland will seal a place at the World Cup – for only the second time in their history – regardless of results elsewhere.

As Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are in League B, however, the picture is slightly different.

The best they can achieve is a play-off place by finishing in the top three – a position both have already secured with two games to spare.

Scotland are in top spot before back-to-back fixtures with Israel on Friday (17:00) and Tuesday (18:00).

Meanwhile, Wales are second in their group on goal difference behind Czech Republic whom they host on Tuesday (18:00), after travelling to Montenegro on Friday (17:00).

Finally, Northern Ireland need a point from their final games in Turkey (Friday, 18:00) and at home to Switzerland (Tuesday, 18:00) to secure a play-off berth.

Reaching the play-offs extends hope of making the World Cup, but teams will still have to navigate two rounds in the autumn to get to Brazil.

Victor Wembanyama endured an emotional night after securing the Western Conference title, even shedding tears postgame. However, NBA legend Kevin Garnett criticized the Spurs star for showing emotion before winning the Finals, questioning the timing of his reaction despite the magnitude of the achievement.

The former NBA champion offered a scathing review of Wemby’s emotional reaction during an episode of the Ticket & the Truth podcast on Tuesday.

“He’s got to go through some bull s*it. He’s crying in the motherf*cking Western Conference finals,” KG remarked. “That was too emotional for me … You got four more games to get. You’ve got to go through the Finals now.”

Garnett’s reaction to Wemby’s emotional outpour was later highlighted by Joebuddenclips on X (formerly Twitter).

“Kevin Garnett says Victor Wembanyama crying in the Western Conference finals was too emotional for me the job isn’t done yet,” joebuddenclips wrote. “He also says the Knicks need to be ready cause the Spurs ain’t the sixers they got people to guard Jalen Brunson.”

The post quickly earned the reactions of fans who blasted KG for picking on Wemby.

While a few fans extended Garnett an olive branch and understood what he meant, they still felt Wemby was young and had the right to show his emotions.

Although Garnett’s argument centered on unfinished business, Wembanyama continues to stand out as a transcendent figure on and off the court. Beyond his unique skill set as a three-point shooting big man, his emotional maturity and willingness to express himself have become defining traits of his personality.

Despite Garnett’s criticism, the Spurs star remains a breath of fresh air in a sporting landscape where showing emotion is often viewed as a weakness. Wembanyama, however, has leaned into being unapologetically authentic, embracing his individuality rather than conforming to traditional expectations.

An emotional Victor Wembanyama reflects on winning the WCF title

Victor Wembanyama helped secure the San Antonio Spurs’ first Western Conference Finals title since 2014 on Saturday, following a grueling seven-game series against the OKC Thunder. After the game, the center was visibly emotional as he picked up the Western Conference Finals MVP award.

During the postgame interview, Wemby reflected on the WCF title while looking back on his journey.

“Winning the Larry O’Brien is a childhood dream,” Wemby said. “Having a real, tangible chance at it, at realizing that dream, you know, it’s a lifetime opportunity. You never know when it’s going to happen again … It’s hard to put into words. It’s almost like the meaning of my life.”

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The center is now four wins away from lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy as he looks to fulfill his childhood dream.