The Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder will square off in the finale of the 2024 NBA Cup on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Milwaukee reached the championship with a 110-102 win over Atlanta on Saturday, advancing from the semifinal stage where it fell to Indiana last season. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City cruised to another double-digit victory, beating Houston 111-96 to punch its ticket.
Which team will lift the trophy on Tuesday night? Let’s dig into the latest betting odds before diving into my Bucks vs Thunder best bets for the 2024 NBA Cup.
Bucks vs Thunder NBA Cup Odds
NBA odds used for these best bets are current as of Monday, Dec. 16, at 2:15 p.m. ET and were found at DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: Bucks (+154) • Thunder (-185)
- Spread: Bucks +4.5 (-110) • Thunder -4.5 (-110)
- Total Points: Over 215 (-108) • Under 215 (-112)
Bucks vs Thunder NBA Cup Prediction
Thunder 113, Bucks 99
I’m backing the Thunder to win the NBA Cup on Tuesday night.
While much has been made about Cleveland and Boston in the opening months of the campaign, Oklahoma City has arguably been the NBA’s best team. The Thunder boast a 20-5 record, a league-best point differential, and rank in the top 10 in efficiency on offense (ninth) and defense (first). And they’ve accomplished those feats despite injuries to Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, among others.
The Bucks have recovered well from a slow start to the campaign by winning eight of their last 10 games and are finally fully healthy after the recent return of SF Khris Middleton. However, I have trouble trusting this team against elite opposition. Milwaukee is 0-5 against Boston and Cleveland this season and made hard work of a favorable draw in the bracket.
While Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have way more experience in these high-pressure environments than an OKC squad that returned to the playoffs last year following a three-year absence, I’m trusting the better team to find a way in a relatively close game.
Bucks vs Thunder NBA Cup Bets
Thunder -4.5 (-110)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 Unit
If the Thunder win this game, they will likely cover this 4.5-point spread.
Four of OKC’s five NBA Cup victories have come by double-digits, including both games in the knockout round, and it owns the league’s best scoring differential (+12.1 points per game). Given that, it is no surprise that the Thunder are 15-9 against the spread as favorites (62.5%), covering by an average margin of 3.8 points per game. Alternatively, Milwaukee owns a 3-3 ATS record as an underdog, losing those games by an average of 7.3 points.
Considering those factors, take the Thunder to win and cover as your NBA bet of the day.
Under 215 Points (-112)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.5 Units
I have much less confidence in the total, which could go either way.
Last year, these two teams combined for 211 and 232 points in their regular-season meetings. So far this season, Unders are 14-11 (56%) for both teams, so I’ll lean toward defense prevailing in a game that should have a playoff-like intensity.
Bucks vs Thunder NBA Cup Prop Bet
Isaiah Hartenstein Points (-105) vs Bobby Portis
If you want to dig deeper than the side and total, this head-to-head points prop is a fun way to get in on the action. I’m backing Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein to score more points than Bucks forward Bobby Portis.
Hartenstein went for 21 in OKC’s semifinal win over Houston and has a decent matchup in the paint against an aging Brook Lopez. Meanwhile, Portis could see fewer offensive opportunities as Middleton gets more involved in Milwaukee’s offense.
- For more on this game, check out our best NBA props today.
Taking the player with the better odds who also isn’t facing the league’s best defense feels like a good idea.
Bucks vs Thunder NBA Cup Parlay
Bucks vs Thunder SGP (+345)
- Thunder ML (-205)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 30+ Points (-210)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: 30+ Points (-125)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: 10+ Rebounds (-390)
For my Bucks vs Thunder same-game parlay, I’m leading off with OKC to win. I’ve discussed at length why the Thunder are a good bet in this game, so taking them on the moneyline makes sense and reduces our risk if it’s a close game.
Next, I’m backing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to score at least 30 points. SGA averages just over 30 points per game on the season and has hit this prop in eight of his previous nine games, including four in a row.
I also like Giannis Antetokounmpo to score at least 30 points and collect 10 or more rebounds. The Bucks’ star has gone for 30 and 10 in four of his previous five games, only falling short on rebounds in the quarterfinal win over Orlando.
