ESPN's basketball daily cheat sheet is your pregame destination before you lock in daily fantasy and betting decisions for that night's games. Here you'll find our top insights for the slate, including players to target for your daily fantasy rosters, along with game-by-game injury reports.
Game 4 projections, injury reports
Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks
8:30 p.m. ET on ABC
Line: Spurs +2.5 (-118) | Knicks -2.5 (-102)
Money line: Spurs +114 | Knicks -135
Total: 216.5 (-108 O, -112 U)
BPI Projection: Knicks by 2.4, straight up 57.4%, 215.8 total points.
Injury Report:
Spurs: David Jones Garcia (OFS - Ankle); Knicks: None reported
The first three games of the NBA Finals have been tight, with the road team triumphant in each, and Game 4 at Madison Square Garden carries massive stakes that can swing the series. The New York Knicks lead the series 2-1, but the San Antonio Spurs' 115-111 Game 3 win changed the tone, with the Spurs erasing a halftime deficit and snapping the Knicks' 13-game playoff winning streak.
Victor Wembanyama is coming off a 32-point performance and has averaged 10.5 more points in Spurs wins than losses this postseason. Stephon Castle helped give San Antonio the poise it needed on the road, while for the Knicks, the focus shifts back to Jalen Brunson, who scored 32 in Game 3 but continues to battle efficiency issues against a Spurs defense willing to trap and crowd him.
New York can take a commanding 3-1 lead with a bounce-back win, while San Antonio can even the series and reclaim momentum before it shifts back home. Game 4 has all the ingredients for another classic. Let's dig further into the matchups to identify some betting angles and DFS value picks for Game 4.
Moody's bets for Wednesday
Dylan Harper 25+ points, rebounds and assists (-102)
The rookie has looked like a veteran in the Finals and has cleared this prop in two of the first three games while playing 28.2 MPG. Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson has increased Harper's minutes in each of the past two games. Harper has averaged 13.3 field goal attempts, 13.0 rebound chances and 6.0 potential assists per game in the series, giving him multiple paths to clear this line.
Mikal Bridges 13+ points (+102)
Bridges' Game 3 dud was less about shot quality and more about involvement. He finished with two points on only five shot attempts in Game 3 with Brunson posting a 38.4% usage rate. That came after Bridges scored 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting in Game 2. With 73.0% of Bridges' made field goals this postseason coming off assists, he'll be much better positioned for success if New York gets back to ball movement and helps him find rhythm through catch-and-shoot looks instead of isolation. Bridges has scored at least 13 points in 52 of 80 games this season in which he has played at least 28 minutes.
Top Daily Fantasy Values of the Day
$8,000+ salaries
Victor Wembanyama, C, Spurs ($13,200): Wembanyama has scored at least 51 fantasy points in every game this series, including 61.5 in Game 3. The Spurs go as Wemby goes this postseason, and that was evident during his 32-point performance in Monday's win. Wembanyama is averaging 10.5 more PPG in Spurs wins than losses this postseason, which would be the 10th-largest gap by any player to reach the Finals. San Antonio needs to even the series; teams up 3-1 in best-of-seven series are 288-15 in those series, including 37-1 in the Finals. Wembanyama is also firmly in play as a captain option.
Jalen Brunson, PG, Knicks ($10,800): Brunson remains a strong option due to his 38.0% usage rate so far in the series. He has scored at least 35 fantasy points in three consecutive games, including at least 44 in each of the last two, despite shooting just 36.7% from the field. The Spurs' defensive pressure has made his looks tougher, but it has not pushed him out of the center of the Knicks' offense. Brunson should remain aggressive as a scorer, and he could also lean more into his playmaking in Game 4.
$6,000-$7,900 salaries
Stephon Castle, SG, Spurs ($8,800): Castle finished with 40.8 fantasy points in Game 3, his best performance of the series so far. He has taken at least 14 shots in every game, while also contributing rebounds and assists. Castle was especially aggressive in Game 3, getting downhill and taking a personal series-high six free throw attempts. As long as his usage remains steady, he is a solid DFS play in Game 4.
Dylan Harper, PG/SG, Spurs ($6,400): The rookie continues to shine on the Finals stage. Harper has scored at least 28 fantasy points and played at least 28 minutes in every game this series. He could unlock even more upside in Game 4 if he attacks the basket more often instead of settling for jump shots. Harper already provides DFS players with a strong floor, but his ceiling is even higher if his aggressiveness increases.