Two pivotal NBA Semi-Finals matchups take place on Saturday (AEST). The Knicks at 76ers tips off first in a must-win game for the home team before the Spurs at Timberwolves game rounds up the day’s action. Here are our best bets for both Game 3 matchups!
NBA Playoffs Betting Tips: Saturday, May 9th 2026
New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers (9:10am AEST)
The New York Knicks might be playing the best basketball of the postseason in their current stretch of five games, where they belted the Atlanta Hawks three times, and then completely dominated the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 with a 137-98 victory. It was a comfortable enough Game 2 victory in the end, winning 108-102.
Joel Embiid missed Game 2 for the Sixers, and he is questionable for Game 3. That is a huge loss if he cannot suit up again. For the Knicks, Josh Hart is listed as questionable, while OG Anunoby is also listed as the same. Giving a prediction without fully knowing the status of all three players is difficult.
It is a must-win game for the Sixers who trail 2-0 in the series. With home court, they will be expected to bounce back, but the Knicks look destined to make the Eastern Conference Finals, and with Jalen Brunson leading the team, supported by Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride, they appeal as the underdog in this game.
Knicks +1.5
$1.92 (2 Units)
San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves (11:40am AEST)
The Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs are tied 1-1 after two games in San Antonio. Game 1 was a nail-biting 104-102 victory for the Wolves before Game 2 where they simply didn’t turn up as the Spurs thumped them 133-95. They were outscored in all four quarters as the Spurs shared scoring duties with seven players scoring double digits. On the other side, while five Timberwolves scored double digits, Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards finishing with 12 points apiece was never going to get it done.
Looking at Game 3, Edwards is questionable to play and the same goes for Ayo Dosunmu. That’s a lot of offensive firepower that could be missing. The Spurs will enter the contest full of confidence, but they aren’t going to shoot lights out as easily. In Game 2, they shot 50% from the field, 41% from three, and 82% from the charity stripe. Surprisingly, the Wolves shot just 52% from the free-throw line from 31 attempts.
Victor Wembanyama is simply freakish and he does it at both ends of the floor. Whether it is drawing the defense or blocking shots, he is always involved in the play. Stephon Castle continues to impress and Dylan Harper is playing well off the bench. The team has depth on the bench with Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson alongside Harper and that’s before mentioning the veteran presence of De’Aaron Fox in the starting lineup. The Spurs look a strong chance to make it a 2-1 series lead with the injury concerns to Edwards and Dosunmu.
Spurs -4.5
$1.95 (2 Units)
