Today's top games to watch, best bets, odds: Knicks vs. Spurs Game 1, Padres vs. Phillies and more
The New York Knicks already won a trophy this season by defeating the San Antonio Spurs. They're hoping to repeat the feat for the biggest prize in the NBA, beginning Wednesday.
New York aims for its 12th consecutive postseason victory when it visits Frost Bank Center to face San Antonio at 8:30 p.m. ET in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals. The Knicks, who haven't lost since dropping a 109-108 decision to the Atlanta Hawks in Game 3 of their first-round series, beat the Spurs 124-113 on Dec. 16 to win the NBA Cup.
OG Anunoby scored a game-high 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds) in that triumph for New York, which has been dominant during its current 11-game winning streak. The club has won by an average of 23.8 points, with all but one of the victories being by double digits.
While the Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals to make their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, the Spurs needed seven games to take out the defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder. Victor Wembanyama scored 22 points and Julian Champagnie added 20 as San Antonio posted a 111-103 road victory in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.
The Spurs are seeking their sixth NBA championship and first since 2014, while the Knicks are in search of their first title since 1973 and third overall. New York lost to San Antonio in five games in its last trip to the NBA Finals.
There are 11 games on MLB's Wednesday evening slate, including the rubber match of the three-game series between the Kansas City Royals (23-38) and Cincinnati Reds (31-29) at 7:10 p.m. ET at Great American Ball Park. The Royals ended a six-game slide with a 9-2 triumph in the opener but the Reds evened the set with Tuesday's 4-3 victory in 10 innings.
In another MLB matchup, the Philadelphia Phillies (31-29) look to remain perfect against San Diego this season when they host the slumping Padres (32-27) at 6:40 p.m. ET for the middle contest of their three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies swept a three-game set at San Diego last week and recorded a 3-2 win on Tuesday against the Padres, who have lost three straight and seven of their last eight.
The Spurs are 4.5-point favorites against the Knicks in the latest consensus NBA odds. The Reds are -161 favorites on the money line against the Royals and the Phillies are massive -220 favorites over the Padres.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Wednesday, June 3. All times Eastern
NBA best bets, where to watchKnicks at SpursTime: 8:30 p.m. | Location: San Antonio | TV: ABC
SportsLine picks -- Model: Knicks +4.5 (-107) | Expert: Mikal Bridges Over 14.5 points (-108, Mike Barner)
Considering the Knicks are entering the NBA Finals on an incredibly dominant run, getting them as spread underdogs in Game 1 almost seems too good to be true, even if they have been idle for eight days. New York has recorded 11 of its 12 postseason wins by double digits and the other victory by six points, while its two losses were one-point decisions. During the regular season, the club went 2-1 against San Antonio, posting both wins by at least 11 points and losing by just two. The SportsLine Projection Model has taken all of this into account and says the Knicks cover the spread in 52% of its simulations. New York's Mikal Bridges has scored 15 or more points in eight of his last nine playoff games, and SportsLine NBA expert Mike Barner (140-99, +2221 on his last 239 NBA player prop picks) likes the guard to keep up his pace on Wednesday.
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Time: 6:40 p.m. | Location: Philadelphia | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick -- Expert: Phillies -1.5 (+105, Matt Snyder)
The Phillies have won five straight meetings with the Padres dating back to last season, and their last loss to San Diego was by one run. The Padres have lost seven of their last eight contests overall. Philadelphia left-hander Cristopher Sanchez worked seven scoreless innings at San Diego in his last outing and hasn't allowed a run in his last 44 2/3 frames. SportsLine expert Matt Snyder doesn't see the Padres doing much damage, if any, against Sanchez and expects the Phillies to get the better of former teammate Walker Buehler, who has posted an 8.04 ERA on the road this year.
Royals at RedsTime: 7:10 p.m. | Location: Cincinnati | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks -- Model: Royals +1.5 (-161) | Expert: Chase Burns Over 6.5 strikeouts (-111, Matt Snyder)
Kansas City cruised to victory in the series opener and owned a 3-0 lead on Tuesday before falling in extra innings. The Reds were headed toward their fifth loss in six games before rallying late in that contest. The SportsLine Projection Model believes the Royals will at least keep it close in the series finale as its simulations have them covering the run line 72% of the time. Cincinnati's Chase Burns has recorded at least seven strikeouts in six of his last seven starts, and SportsLine expert Matt Snyder thinks the right-hander will reach that number again in this outing.
Time: 8 p.m. Thursday | Location: Raleigh, N.C. | TV: ABC
SportsLine pick -- Model: Golden Knights +1.5 (-192)
The Golden Knights got off to a rough start in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final as they trailed 2-0 just 12:08 into the contest. But for the second time in their last three postseason contests, they rallied from a multi-goal deficit and drew first blood in the series with a 5-4 victory. Vegas has won seven consecutive games and eight of its last nine, with the lone loss in that span being by just one goal. The SportsLine Projection Model feels strongly that the Golden Knights will not lose Game 2 by multiple tallies as they cover the puck line in 72% of its simulations.
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