The NBA Finals will open tonight as Josh Hart and the New York Knicks challenge the San Antonio Spurs. It has been a relatively clear path for the Knicks to this point, as they enter this matchup coming off back-to-back series sweeps. In contrast, San Antonio is coming off a grueling seven-game series against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Hart has been an X-factor for the Knicks since he arrived in New York, and this will remain the case with the championship on the line.
Looking at the odds for the NBA Finals opener, the Spurs enter as 4.5-point favorites and hold -185 odds of winning outright on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Knicks hold +154 odds of pulling off the outright upset, with the game total set at 218.5 points.
Let’s dive into my favorite Josh Hart player props for the Game 1 NBA Finals contest.
Best Josh Hart prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Josh Hart Over 7.5 Rebounds (-136)
Despite standing just 6-foot-5, Josh Hart is a tenacious rebounder and will be called on to make an impact in this area across the series. The 31-year-old posted averages of 12.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists across the regular season. Since the postseason kicked off, Hart is tallying 11.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists. The Villanova product tallied over 7.5 rebounds in 25 of his 66 regular-season games played and in nine of the 14 postseason games.
Victor Wembanyama is a game-changing defensive talent, and his impact will be felt across this series. While his defensive coverage will surely be switched up throughout, the expectation is that he will primarily be used as a roamer with Hart as the main matchup. Hart has faced this style of defense before, and he is a smart player who finds ways to use it to his advantage. He is a good cutter and utilizes his off-ball movement to generate shot attempts for himself and others, as well as being a major factor attacking the offensive glass. The desire to force Wembanyama out to the perimeter will be seen across the entirety of the Knicks’ attack, with Karl-Anthony Towns being a major factor in this as well. Towns being on the perimeter allows more chances for Hart to attack the offensive glass and a clearer path to these rebounding chances.
Fatigue will also be a factor for the Spurs after the exhausting series they just came off. Hart is the Knicks’ biggest energy guy, and in his 10 career playoff series in New York, he has never finished a series with fewer than 7.0 rebounds per game on average. He has tallied 11+ rebounds in four games already in the postseason and pulled in 10 rebounds in his lone regular-season matchup against San Antonio. Hart also tallied eight rebounds in the NBA Cup Final against this Spurs team. Expect an all-out effort from the Knicks’ X-Factor and for the veteran to set the tone with over 7.5 rebounds tonight.
Josh Hart to Record 3+ Made Three-Pointers (+157)
The Knicks have a loaded roster with plenty of shooting available. As a result, Hart tends to be the guy chosen by opposing defenses to be left open. But it should be made clear that this is a pick-your-poison situation, not that Hart is a non-shooter. In fact, he shot a career-best 41.3% from beyond the three-point arc this season on 3.7 perimeter attempts per game. Hart’s efficiency has slipped a bit in the postseason, connecting on just 30.3% of long-range attempts, but his volume has increased to 4.7 long-range shots per game.
With Wembanyama expected to sag off of Hart to serve as a rim protector, expect Hart to be eager to punish this tactic and make the Spurs question this defensive strategy in the series opener. He is mentally strong and does not let past misses bother him. This new series provides a clean slate, and expect Hart to be eager to bring up his perimeter average. Even with the shooting struggles in mind, Hart shot 5-for-11 from deep in Game 2 against the Cavaliers and has made four or more perimeter shots in two of his past five games played. He also made three or more three-pointers in 15 regular-season games.
Wembanyama’s defensive presence will be a major factor across this entire series. But Hart will be a key part of the basketball chess match, and knocking down a few perimeter looks in the series opener could greatly change the outlook for the series moving forward. Expect it to be a priority to create chances for the Villanova product in this feel-out game. Hart tends to be at his best when the bright lights are on him, and expect this to be put on display tonight.
