Spurs vs. Knicks Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for NBA Cup Championship

The Knicks are slight favorites in the NBA Cup Championship.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is a great prop target on Tuesday. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

A title is on the line on Tuesday night, as there is just one game in the NBA with the New York Knicks taking the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup Championship in Las Vegas.

The path for each team to get here is intriguing, especially since the Oklahoma City Thunder were odds-on favorites to win the NBA Cup entering the semifinals. 

But, Victor Wembanyama returned for the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday and dropped 22 points, nine rebounds and a pair of blocks to help lead them to an upset win. It was just the second time all season long that the Thunder lost. 

Meanwhile, the New York Knicks rolled past the Toronto Raptors in the quarterfinals before a Jalen Brunson 40-ball helped them beat the Orlando Magic in the semis on Saturday night. New York is favored in Tuesday’s matchup by 2.5 points, but the Spurs are one of the best underdog teams in the NBA, going 7-3 against the spread in that spot this season.

There are a ton of ways to bet on this game, and I shared a plethora of player props in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – and SI Betting’s best NBA props column earlier today. 

Here’s a full game preview, equipped with the latest odds, my favorite prop and a prediction for this NBA Cup title game. 

Spurs vs. Knicks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Spurs +2.5 (-110)
• Knicks -2.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Spurs: +114
• Knicks: -135

Total

• 229.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Spurs vs. Knicks How to Watch

• Date: Tuesday, Dec. 16
• Time: 8:30 p.m. EST
• Venue: T-Mobile Arena
• How to Watch (TV): Prime Video
• Spurs record: 18-7
• Knicks record: 18-7

Spurs vs. Knicks Injury Reports

Spurs Injury Report

• Kyle Mangas -- out

Knicks Injury Report

•  Miles McBride -- out
• Landry Shamet -- out

Spurs vs. Knicks Best NBA Prop Bets

Knicks Best NBA Prop Bet

• Jalen Brunson OVER 29.5 Points (-120)

In today’s best NBA prop bets column for SI Betting, I shared why Brunson’s hot scoring will continue against San Antonio: 

Brunson torched Orlando on Saturday night in the NBA Cup semis, scoring 40 points on 16-of-27 shooting, his fourth game in a row with 30 or more points. 

The All-NBA guard is now averaging 28.8 points per game this season while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from beyond the arc. He’s going to handle the ball a ton for the Knicks in this game, and he showed in the semis why he’s the reigning Clutch Player of the Year.

Brunson is simply one of the best closers in the NBA. 

This is a great matchup for the Villanova product, as the Spurs rank 27th in the NBA in points per game allowed to opposing point guards (27.93). 

Brunson has been on fire since missing a few games with an ankle injury, scoring 30 or more points in seven of his last 12 games while shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from 3. He’s averaging 29.6 points per game during that 12-game stretch. 

He’s a solid bet to hit the 30-point mark again, especially if he takes 20-plus shots for the third time in four games.

Spurs vs. Knicks Prediction and Pick

Last year’s NBA Cup Championship between the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder was an extremely low-scoring game, but I’m not expecting that on Tuesday night.

The Knicks and Spurs are two of the best offenses in the NBA, as New York is second in the league in offensive rating and fourth in points per game while the Spurs are seventh in both statistics.

With Wembanyama back for the Spurs, their offensive ceiling is even higher entering this matchup.

New York combined for 252 points against Orlando in the NBA Cup semis, and I think it’ll be able to take advantage of a Spurs defense that has slipped to 14th in defensive rating with Wembanyama missing a ton of time. 

On the Spurs’ side, they should be able to attack a New York defense that is just 25th in the league in opponent 3s made per game.

I think this total may be a little lower after the way the NBA Cup title went last season, but I don’t expect these teams to play a grind-it-out game the way the Thunder can (they have the No. 1 defense in the NBA). 

Let’s root for points in what should be a close matchup on Tuesday. 

Pick: OVER 229.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

---

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Claim the latest DraftKings promo code offer today. Sign up and win your first $5 bet to get $200 in bonus bets instantly.