Peter’s Points: NBA Best Bets Today (Predictions, Prop Bets for Brandon Ingram, Norman Powell, Knicks-Raptors)

Sports Illustrated's Peter Dewey breaks down his favorite bets for the NBA Cup Quarterfinals on Tuesday, Dec. 9.

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram is an interesting prop target on Tuesday. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The NBA Cup Quarterfinals are here!

Tuesday night features both of the quarterfinal games in the Eastern Conference, as the Miami Heat take on their Southeast division rival – the Orlando Magic – while the New York Knicks hit the road to play the Toronto Raptors.

All four of these teams are 14-10 or better, holding the No. 2 (New York), No. 4 (Toronto), No. 5 (Orlando) and No. 6 (Miami) seeds in the East. 

Oddsmakers have set the Knicks and Heat as road favorites in these games, and that’s partially due to some injuries to their opponents.  

Franz Wagner (ankle) has been ruled out for the next few weeks for Orlando while RJ Barrett (knee) will miss another week for the Raptors. 

New York is second in the odds to win the NBA Cup (+475) behind the Oklahoma City Thunder (-120) while the Magic (+1200) are fourth despite being underdogs in this matchup. 

I’m eyeing a few plays for the action on Tuesday, so let’s dive into the odds and a full breakdown of each of these bets!

1 Season, 600 Bets: NBA Betting Record

• 2025-26 season record: 79-66 (+0.06 units)
• 2024-25 season record: 281-293-5 (-4.94 units)
• OVERALL (since 2021-22 season): 1370-1303-27 (+33.22 units)

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

NBA Best Bets Today

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Brandon Ingram UNDER 23.5 Points (-116)
• Norman Powell OVER 21.5 Points (-122)
• New York Knicks Parlay (-160)

Brandon Ingram UNDER 23.5 Points (-116)

Brandon Ingram is a prime fade candidate on Tuesday night, even though he’s coming off a big game against the Boston Celtics. 

Ingram is averaging 21.2 points per game this season while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from beyond the arc. He has a tough matchup on Tuesday, as the Knicks feature a pair of elite wing defenders in Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby.

Bridges gave Ingram a ton of trouble back on Nov. 30, holding him to just 14 points on 4-of-11 shooting. Anunoby, who recently returned from an injury, didn't even play in that game, so things could be even tougher for the former No. 2 overall pick tonight.

This season, Ingram has scored 24 or more points in just nine of his 25 games, and he's averaging 22.1 points (while shooting 43.6 percent from the field) with RJ Barrett out of the lineup for the last eight games.

The shot volume may end up being there for Ingram, but he's not a great 3-point shooter and the Knicks held him in check just a few games ago. I'm not buying the momentum on this line just because he scored 30 his last time out. Prior to that game, Ingram had failed to clear 23.5 points in five straight contests.

Norman Powell OVER 21.5 Points (-122)

Heat wing Norman Powell is off to a great start this season, averaging 24.8 points per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 44.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Powell has torched Orlando this season, scoring 28 points on Dec. 5 and 28 points in their season opener back in October. Overall, the veteran guard has 22 or more points in 13 of his 19 games this season.

The Heat play at the fastest pace in the NBA, which has allowed for Powell and Miami to turn in some pretty big scoring games this season. Powell is attempting a career-high 16.2 shots and 6.3 free throws per game, giving him a terrific floor when it comes to this prop.

While the Magic are fifth in the NBA in defensive rating, they haven’t had an answer for the veteran guard, as he’s shot 18-for-37 from the field against them in two games. 

New York Knicks Parlay (-160)

• Jalen Brunson 25+ Points
• New York Knicks +6.5

Jalen Brunson 25+ Points

Karl-Anthony Towns is questionable to play in this game, so Jalen Brunson should carry a major load on the offensive end for New York – especially if the All-Star big man sits out. 

I’m moving his points prop down from 27.5 to 25-plus, a number that he’s hit in 15 of his 21 games this season. 

The star guard attempted 23 shots and finished with 30 points against the Magic on Sunday, and he's picked up at least 25 points in eight of his last 10 games since returning from an ankle injury. 

Brunson is averaging 28.0 points per game during that stretch and 28.0 points per game overall this season while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from 3-point range.

The Raptors did hold Brunson to just 6-for-19 shooting back on Nov. 30, but the volume was still there for the Knicks star. In fact, he's taken at least 14 shots in every game he's played in this season and 18 or more shots in 18 of his 21 appearances.

New York Knicks +6.5

The Knicks have struggled on the road this season, winning just three of their nine games, but I’m buying them in this NBA Cup matchup on Tuesday.

For the sake of this parlay, I’m moving the spread to Knicks +6.5 to get two possessions of coverage, but I think New York has a real chance to win and cover the original number (Knicks -4.5) as well.

The Raptors are just 4-9 against the spread at home this season despite winning eight of those games, and they’ve started to come back to earth after a fast start to the season.

The Knicks blew them out at Madison Square Garden earlier this season, and New York now ranks third in the NBA in offensive rating and fourth in net rating. Plus, the Knicks have won eight of their last 10 games to move back into the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto, on the other hand, is just 3-5 since RJ Barrett went down, and it’s struggled over its last 10 games, posting a net rating of -1.1, which is 19th in the NBA during that stretch.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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