NBA Finals Game 3 preview: Betting tips, odds and expert predictions

The NBA Finals move to New York for Game 3, which will be played at 01:30 AM BST on Tuesday morning.

The New York Knicks come into this game with a 2-0 lead over San Antonio Spurs, so with the next two games bound to be played in the Big Apple, the Knicks seem very close to their third title and the first title since 1973.

My Game 2 predictions were as successful as Game 1 tips, i.e. I got two of the three tips right, although I did also hint at backing the Knicks on handicap in Game 2, after predicting they will take Game 1.

With that in mind, I'll take a closer look at this game and offer my detailed New York Knicks vs San Antonio Spurs preview, along with my top NBA Finals Game 3 betting tips, odds, and expert predictions.

NBA Finals Game 3 predictions

All odds for my NBA Finals Game 3 picks were taken from Paddy Power and are subject to change at any time.

New York Knicks to win (moneyline)

I backed these Knicks in Game 1 based on their experience compared to the Spurs, fewer games played in the playoffs up to their point, and a much easier run to the Finals.

Now the Knicks are 2-0 up as they head back to New York and I just don't see how the Spurs can recover from their losses. Yes, the pressure at the Garden will be immense, but if there was ever a Knicks roster that could handle that pressure, it's this.

Brunson seems to thrive on it, while the rest of the team seems likely to feed off the energy of the fans rather than shrink under pressure. So, while I expect another close game, I can see the Knicks coming one inch closer to their third NBA title.

Under 216.5 total points

I backed the under in Game 1 at 218.5 total points and I backed it again in Game 2 at 214.5 total points. It seems weird to me that the line has gone up after seeing just 209 points in Game 2, so I see no reason to change the winning side.

After all, the last three meetings between these two teams have averaged just 204 points and have all gone under the lowest line set in the series. On top of that, this is a matchup between two great defensive teams, with the two best defensive ratings in these playoffs.

All in all, I feel this is the safest bet for Game 3, just as I felt for the last two games.

Landry Shamet to score 15+ points

In both games of the 2026 NBA Finals, Shamet has scored 13 points from the bench. He has reached 15 points just once in these playoffs, but his contribution to the Knicks' success has been immense.

In the last four games in the playoffs, he's averaging 14 points per game and it seems indicative that the Knicks turned into a winning machine pretty much at the same time as Shamet started getting more minutes, with a few notable exceptions.

This is by no means a safe bet, but at 4/1 odds, I felt I couldn't miss out on its potential. Shamet can easily catch fire and I feel that this will prove to be true at home, in the home-friendly atmosphere bound to be made electric by the Knicks' fans.

NBA Finals Game 3 preview – team news, injuries, and predicted lineups

New York Knicks preview and latest news

The euphoria in New York is palatable heading into Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals, as the Knicks have a 2-0 lead and are two home wins away from the first title after more than half a century.

Not much indicated this outcome, looking back at their regular season, since the Knicks were barely third in the Eastern Conference standings heading into the playoffs. Furthermore, in the first round, they were at one point tied 2-2 against the Atlanta Hawks.

However, ever since then, the Knicks truly looked like the best team in the world, notching 12 straight playoff wins to put themselves on the brink of winning it all.

Jalen Brunson leads this team in scoring and he is the true leader, focused on the job ahead, but the rest of the roster also seems fully engaged and ready for this.

The Knicks are 14-2 in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.

Knicks starting lineup: Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Hart, Towns

San Antonio Spurs preview and latest news

The youth, or, better said, inexperience, reared its head for this Spurs team in Game 2, embodied in the costly mistake and turnover by the team's leader, Victor Wembanyama, at the very end of the game.

The Spurs managed to overcome a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter, defended well in what seemed to be the last possession of the game for the Knicks, secured the ball with some 14 seconds left in a tied game, and then Wembanyama recklessly threw the ball into Brunson's hands.

The young Frenchman will have to put all of that behind him for Game 3 if the Spurs are to have any chance of winning. On the bright side, Wembanyama and the others in this Spurs core have shown surprising maturity so far, but it seems that this is the year that all young teams have to go through, earning some battle wounds before finally winning it all.

After all, the Spurs already exceeded pre-season expectations by a lot, and they've shown grit and quality by eliminating the defending champions the OKC Thunder, so even if they do end up losing the Finals, there should be optimism surrounding them going forward. Just as a reminder – Wemby is 22, Stephon Castle is 21, and Dylan Harper is 20.

The Spurs are 12-9 in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.

Spurs starting lineup: Fox, Castle, Vassell, Champagnie, Wembanyama

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