With the champions exiting and two red-hot teams heading to the Finals, the NBA’s climax promises to be a scintillating best-of-seven affair – one which gets underway on Thursday morning. The reigning champs, the Oklahoma City Thunder, were denied a shot at back-to-back Championships by the San Antonio Spurs, whose Game 7 success has set up a Finals clash with the New York Knicks. It promises to be an exciting series and there are plenty of outright markets to get stuck into. talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Get up to £30 in free bets New York Knicks to win the Finals @ 6/4New York have waited 27 years to return to the NBA Finals, so it is only poetic that their reappearance comes against the side that denied them the title in 1999. The odds suggest further heartbreak awaits the Knicks, but while Victor Wembanyama is the best player on either team, the Knicks’ collective could edge out the Spurs over the course of the series. In OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson has a much stronger supporting cast than Wemby and, boy, have they shown that throughout the playoffs. The Knicks got off to a shaky start, going 2-1 down to the Atlanta Hawks. but have since won their 11 games since then by an average of 23.8 points proving their strength. They also have a rest advantage over the Spurs, who were involved in seven gruelling games against the Thunder, while New York have been off the court since May 26. The mental side also goes in New York’s favour, with the Knicks winning two of the pair’s three regular-season meetings, including the NBA Cup final in December. The most recent of those clashes saw the Knicks dominate the Spurs, winning 114-89 while defending San Antonio so well that they shot just 41% from the field. That defensive excellence has been apparent throughout the playoffs, and that, along with rest advantage and squad balance, is what gives them the edge over the Spurs. Jalen Brunson to win Finals MVP @ 21/10Unsurprisingly, Wembanyama is the odds-on favourite to be named Finals MVP. However, with an upset in the offing, it makes sense to side with the Knicks’ star man to steal the show. Brunson was crowned Eastern Conference Finals MVP after averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists in a sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers, while also knocking down an extremely efficient 47.8 per cent of his shots. San Antonio will likely task Stephon Castle with keeping tabs on Brunson, but the Knicks star’s high-energy style will tire the Spur out, and it is hard to see De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, or any other guard potentially stopping the King of New York in the same way. Brunson has put this Knicks team on his back plenty of times – he isn’t nicknamed Captain Clutch for nothing – and he can lead them to glory on the biggest stage of all. talkSPORT BET welcome offer – Get up to £30 in free bets *Odds correct at the time of writing and subject to change18+ New customers only. Opt in via app & bet £10 on any sports at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 3x £10 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments & Apple Pay only. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsiblyRemember to gamble responsiblyA responsible gambler is someone who:Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chase their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressedGamCare – www.gamcare.org.ukGamble Aware – www.gambleaware.orgFor help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org