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Member Notes
Today’s Free Picks
| Sport | Game Selection | Game Time |
|---|---|---|
| NBA | (505) San Antonio Spurs at (506) New York Knicks | 8:30pm EDT - Jun 8/2026 |
The PLAY: San Antonio Spurs 115
Don't give up on the Spurs yet. They very well could be up 2-0 in this NBA Finals rather than down 0-2.
The best player on the court is not Karl-Anthony Towns nor Jalen Brunson. It is Victor Wembanyama and he is more than capable of playing much better than he has shown so far in this championship series.
San Antonio also has a secret weapon. More on that later.
Much is being made of the Knicks' 13 straight playoff victories. That is the second-longest streak by any team in NBA playoff history. Note that 11 of those victories came against the Cavaliers, 76ers and Hawks. The Spurs have their own impressive streak - 13-2 SU and ATS in their next game following a loss since January.
The Spurs had a 14-point second-half lead in Game 1 against New York. Not nearly as well rested as the Knicks, the Spurs missed many shots they normally hit and ended up blowing the game.
San Antonio led New York with less than a minute left in Game 2. The Spurs ended up losing by one point when Wembanyama made an unforced error that led to a turnover and then compounded his poor decision with a foul. Then Wembanyama, who shot 51.2 percent from the floor during the regular season, missed a makeable jumper in the final seconds.
This is what Wembanyama said after the game: "I threw that one away. I messed up. We didn’t play great as a team. We needed to win that game. This game was ours. But at this point, it’s done. “Am I going to regret it? Yes, of course. Am I going to use that to fuel me and to fuel me and fuel us next game? Absolutely.”
I believe him. I regard Wembanyama as the most complete basketball player in the world, none better.
Now for San Antonio's secret weapon.
Well, actually, it's not such a secret that President Donald Trump is going to attend this Game 3.
The Knicks' have all the momentum, enthusiasm and joy going their way now. Trump, with all his baggage and controversial presence, is going to prove a huge distraction if not steal the spotlight.
Those attending the game at Madison Square Garden are being asked to arrive at least 2 hours before tip off because of TSA-screening procedures and security. The Secret Service also announced fans cannot bring bags into the arena.
Some are saying the Spurs are not yet ready to win an NBA championship, too young and inexperienced in pressure packed deep playoff games like this one. This calls for a reminder that the Knicks have not won an NBA championship in 53 years. They have not hosted an NBA Finals game in 27 years.
All the pressure is on the Knicks and Trump's divisive presence in the heart of the deeply blue state of New York could make things worse.
So I am on the Spurs.
Consultant Bio
Stephen Nover is unique among professional handicappers. A multiple award-winning sportswriter for numerous newspapers, including the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Nover has one the best combinations of gambling and media sources in the world.
The author of two sports gambling books, "Las Vegas Sports Beat" and "Sports Gaming Beat", along with a book on fantasy football titled, "Winning Fantasy Football", Nover is a former professor at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas having taught a football handicapping class there. He also was the co-host of the Sunday night sports betting radio show "The Stardust Line" during the 1990's.
Parlaying nearly 50 years worth of professional gambling experience with tremendous knowledge of the players through elite deep-roster Rotisserie leagues and building on copious gaming and media sources - having worked for newspapers in the Midwest, South and West and also for legendary Hall of Fame oddsmaker Roxy Roxborough - Nover is a true Las Vegas wise guy. He helped learn his craft from such masters as Roxborough, Dave Malinsky, Lem Banker and Russ Culver.
Part of what makes Nover so special is the pride he takes in writing his deep-dive analysis, which always is unique, well-researched and sometimes entails out-of-the-box thinking.