Bookmakers list Spurs as favorites entering the 2026 NBA Finals

San Antonio entered the 2026 NBA Finals as the betting favorite, according to odds published June 2 by ESPN and other sportsbook previews ahead of Wednesday night’s opener against New York. ESPN listed the Spurs at -190 to win the title, compared with +160 for the Knicks, after San Antonio had opened even shorter at -220 following its Game 7 win over Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals. (espn.com) The line movement pointed to a market that still preferred the Spurs but had taken enough early Knicks money to narrow the gap. (espn.com) ESPN reported the Knicks opened at +180 before the price shortened, while San Antonio moved from -220 to -200 and then settled at -190. (espn.com) ### Why were the Spurs favored before the series started? ESPN’s betting report said San Antonio was favored entering the series, and FanDuel’s published preview also showed the Spurs as the series favorite at -205, with New York at +164. DraftKings-linked odds pages and other betting previews similarly framed San Antonio as the team carrying the shorter price into Game 1. (espn.com) San Antonio also had home-court advantage. ESPN’s schedule page listed Game 1 for June 3 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, with the Spurs laying 4.5 points and the total at 218.5. (espn.com) ### What did the market say about Wembanyama and Brunson? Victor Wembanyama opened as the clear Finals MVP favorite in ESPN’s June 2 odds report. ESPN listed Wembanyama at -185 for Finals MVP, ahead of Knicks guard Jalen Brunson at +210. Karl-Anthony Towns was next at 20-1, followed by OG Anunoby at 40-1 and Spurs guard Stephon Castle at 50-1. (espn.com) That pricing matched the broader pre-series framing around the matchup. ESPN’s Finals coverage and other previews centered on Wembanyama and Brunson as the two headliners most likely to define the series. (espn.com) ### Did bettors agree with the books? Caesars Sportsbook told ESPN that both finalists were liabilities in its futures book, meaning each team had attracted enough preseason and playoff betting interest to create exposure for the house. (espn.com) DraftKings Sportsbook in New York had even heavier Knicks exposure. ESPN reported on May 31 that the Knicks had drawn nearly half of all money wagered there on the NBA Finals winner this season, almost as much as every other team combined. (espn.com) ### How close did analysts think the matchup was? Yahoo’s betting preview published June 2 described the Finals as beginning Wednesday and treated the series as competitive even with San Antonio favored. ESPN’s broader Finals coverage also presented the matchup as a narrow one, with experts split on the outcome and the star matchup driving most of the attention. (espn.com) The regular-season meetings offered support for that view. Fox Sports said the teams met three times, with New York winning the NBA Cup championship game by 11, losing at San Antonio by two, and beating the Spurs in New York by 25. (espn.com) ### What happens next? Game 1 is set for Wednesday, June 3, at 8:30 p.m. ET in San Antonio, according to ESPN’s Finals schedule and preview coverage. ESPN’s game listing showed the Spurs as 4.5-point favorites for the opener, and ABC was scheduled to carry the broadcast. (espn.com) (foxsports.com) (sports.yahoo.com)