After a couple of months of action, the NBA Cup comes to a head on Tuesday, Dec. 16 when the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks square off at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video.
The Spurs arrive in the NBA Cup Championship after handing the Oklahoma City Thunder their second loss of the season. Meanwhile, the Knicks shot beyond 60% to beat the Orlando Magic in the other semifinal.
Below, you’ll find four NBA Cup predictions: one for the spread, the total, and two player props.
Spurs vs Knicks Predictions
All NBA odds used for these Spurs vs Knicks best bets are current as of Tuesday, Dec. 16, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Spurs +2.5 (-110) vs Knicks
The Spurs are riding into this NBA Cup final with massive momentum. Not only did they take down the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-109, but they beat the Los Angeles Lakers 132-119 in the quarterfinals.
Plus, Victor Wembanyama is back, albeit with some limitations. Still, he put up 22 points in just under 21 minutes.
This is going to be a fantastic matchup, as both teams rank in the top seven in offensive efficiency. However, with Wembanyama back and logging minutes, he’ll be a matchup problem for the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns.
I’m taking San Antonio to cover the spread as my NBA pick of the day.
Under 231.5 Total Points (-115)
Both teams are playing some of their best basketball, but scoring will take a bit of a back seat on Tuesday night.
The Knicks are holding teams to 112.2 points per game this season, which ranks fourth in the NBA, and the Spurs just held the Thunder to 109. Additionally, opponents are shooting just 46% against the Knicks, while the Spurs, again, held the Thunder to just 41.3%.
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Something else I’ll be watching for is rebounding. New York and San Antonio allow the fewest offensive rebounds, leading me to believe second-chance opportunities might be few and far between.
I’m expecting a game closer to the Spurs-Thunder result than the Knicks-Magic contest from the semifinals.
Victor Wembanyama: 20+ Points (-174) vs Knicks
I can’t discuss Spurs vs Knicks prop bets without bringing up Wembanyama.
I’m taking a bit of a hit on the odds for a bit more certainty. In the semifinals against the Thunder, Wembanyama played just under 21 minutes and recorded 22 points. He went 9-of-12 on free throws, 5-of-10 on 2-point shots, and made his lone 3-pointer.
Not bad for a guy who hasn’t played in a month.
While I do expect him to come off the bench again, he could see a bump in minutes. After all, the NBA Cup Championship is on the line, along with a bonus exceeding $500,000 for each player. Wembanyama’s presence is needed if the Spurs want to win the trophy.
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Julian Champagnie: 2+ 3-Pointers Made (-137)
Champagnie is averaging 2.3 3-pointers made per game on 6.1 attempts (37.5%).
Now, he’ll take on a Knicks defense that’s done well against the 3-point shot recently. However, New York is allowing opponents to shoot 36.2% from beyond the arc this season, which ranks 16th in the NBA, and opponents are averaging 14.5 made threes per outing (25th).
The Magic had three players make multiple 3-point shots against the Knicks in the semifinals, and this is Champagnie’s specialty. He has made at least two 3-pointers in four of his last five games and ranks third on the Spurs in 3-point shot attempts per game.
