The 2025 NBA Cup concludes on Tuesday, Dec. 16 with the final in Las Vegas between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks. The Spurs are near the top of the Western Conference and have won their last three games, including a thrilling 111-109 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinal on Saturday to snap a 16-game winning streak for the defending champions. The Knicks have won their last five games and are only behind the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference standings. New York defeated the Orlando Magic 132-120 in its NBA Cup semifinal game thanks to a 40-point showing from Jalen Brunson.
Here’s a look at what those interested in NBA betting need to know for the 2025 NBA Cup final between the Spurs and Knicks. The game will air on Prime Video at 8:30 p.m. ET and this is the first meeting between these teams this season. Bet the 2025 NBA Cup Championship at DraftKings, where you can get $200 in bonus bets:
Spurs vs. Knicks preview
The Spurs got star center Victor Wembanyama back from an injury in Saturday’s semifinal. He only played 21 minutes but had 22 points and some crucial defensive plays down the stretch. San Antonio has seen good progress from last year’s Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, who is averaging 18.4 points per game this season. Castle had 30 points and 10 rebounds in San Antonio’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the quarterfinal round and followed it up with 22 points and six boards in the win over Oklahoma City. Wembanyama did not have any setbacks, so he’s expected to be good to go for Tuesday’s semifinal. The Spurs are 13-10-2 ATS on the season and 14-11 to the Over. They have a 118.0 offensive rating and 113.8 defensive rating. San Antonio has a relatively deep rotation, with nine guys averaging 20 minutes or more per game.
New York runs things a bit differently, with six players averaging 27+ minutes per game. The Knicks are at full strength with the return of OG Anunoby, who is averaging 17.3 points per game since he got back on the floor. Brunson, Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges anchor the starting lineup, with Josh Hart likely to fill the final spot. The Knicks are only behind the Denver Nuggets in offensive rating at 122.0 while carrying a defensive rating of 113.3. They are 17-8 ATS on the season and 13-12 to the Over.
Neither team has won the NBA Cup in its three-year history. The Spurs have not appeared in the knockout stage prior to this season’s NBA Cup, while the Knicks lost their first knockout game in each of the last two editions. The winning team gets $530,000 per player while the losing team gets $212,373 per player.
Spurs vs. Knicks odds, picks, predictions
The Knicks are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Spurs vs. Knicks SportsLine consensus odds and the total sits at 227.5. New York is a -135 money line favorite (wager $136 to win $100) while San Antonio is a +115 underdog (wager $100 to win $115).
The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has the Knicks covering as 2.5-point favorites in 56% of simulations. It also has New York winning in 59% of simulations and has the Over on 227.5 hitting in 63.8% of simulations. For the latest Spurs vs. Knicks forecast information, head to SportsLine. Bet the Knicks to cover at FanDuel, where you can get $150 in bonus bets:
