Josh Hart and the New York Knicks have taken a commanding 2-0 series lead in the NBA Finals over the San Antonio Spurs, with the action returning to Madison Square Garden for Game 3. Through the opening two matchups of the series, Hart is averaging just 1.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and five assists, with foul troubles limiting his impact. He averaged 12.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game at home this season, compared to 11.4 points and 6.6 rebounds on the road, and will look to feed off the intensity of the Knicks’ crowd Monday night.
The Knicks enter as narrow 1.5-point home favorites with -130 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Spurs are +110 underdogs, with the game total set at 216.5 points.
Let’s dive into my favorite Josh Hart player props for Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
Best Josh Hart prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Josh Hart Over 12.5 Rebounds & Assists (-135)
While Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns headline the scoring, Josh Hart is the tone-setter for this Knicks team, who embraces doing the grunt work. Across the regular season, the Villanova product averaged 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. He tallied over 12.5 combined rebounds and assists (R+A) in 27 of his 66 games played. Since the postseason kicked off, Hart is averaging 8.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per contest, finishing with more than 12.5 R+A in nine of New York’s 16 games.
Hart opened the series by pulling in 15 rebounds and adding six assists in Game 1. He did not have as much success in Game 2, falling into foul trouble and being limited to 18 minutes of playing time. In limited action, the 31-year-old tallied six rebounds and four assists.
This is the first NBA Finals game in New York since 1999, and the 2-0 series lead should only add to what is expected to be one of the craziest atmospheres in sports. Hart is a high-energy player who feeds off the crowd and does not need much motivation to give his all whenever he is on the floor. He has done an excellent job exploiting the Spurs’ lack of defensive attention to attack the glass, creating a free lane for offensive rebounds, and Hart is a necessary playmaker in the flow of the offense as Brunson continues to be double-teamed at a high rate.
As long as he avoids foul trouble, expect the rebounding and assist opportunities to continue coming at a high rate for Hart. Count on his production to look closer to what was seen in the series opener, and for Hart to record over 12.5 combined R+A in Game 3. There is also some value in the alternate lines, such as 15+ combined rebounds and assists at +145 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Josh Hart Over 1.5 Threes (+146)
Scoring has been a struggle for Josh Hart this series. He has been limited to just three total points through the opening two games, shooting 1-for-9 from the field and 0-for-5 from deep. While the Spurs’ defense is elite, these have felt more self-inflicted than anything San Antonio is doing. He has largely been left alone on the perimeter and has not made the Spurs pay just yet.
It should be made clear that Hart is not a non-shooter, but simply the weakest link in the Knicks’ overall offensive flow from a shooting perspective. He shot a career-best 41.3% from beyond the arc across the regular season, averaging 1.5 made three-pointers per game. This percentage has slipped to 28.2% in the postseason, but he is still attempting 4.4 perimeter attempts and 1.3 makes per game. Hart has made over 1.5 triples in 25 regular-season games and in four postseason games, while making at least one long-range shot in 11 of the 16 matchups.
Hart has shot the ball better at home all season, connecting on 43.8% of his perimeter attempts at Madison Square Garden, compared to 40.5% on the road. He shot a postseason-best 5-for-11 from deep during a home matchup against the Hawks. In general, Hart has done an excellent job of punishing teams for sagging off of him too much. His lack of offensive success should only reinforce San Antonio’s defensive game plan; expect the Knicks’ standout to show increased willingness as a shooter on Monday. Hart is mentally tough and has no problem shaking off poor shooting efforts. Expect him to enter Game 3 with a clean slate and be ready to knock down a pair of wide-open looks in this pivotal matchup.
