The NBA Cup championship game is set and Victor Wembanyama helped the San Antonio Spurs crash the party.
The Spurs set up a fascinating championship game for the NBA’s in-season tournament by upsetting the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Wemby and company will face the New York Knicks on Tuesday, Dec. 16 in Las Vegas with $530,933 awarded to each player on the winning team (players already received $53,093 for reaching last Friday’s NBA Cup semifinal round).
It’ll be a matchup featuring one of the Western Conference’s rising contenders and an entrenched Eastern Conference powerhouse trying to get over the hump and into the NBA Finals this year. The Spurs just successfully navigated through more than a month of their schedule without Wembanyama as he recovered from a calf injury, while the Knicks are playing their best basketball of the season under new coach Mike Brown.
Picks and predictions are split on a potential winner, with experts starting to weigh in now that Spurs vs. Knicks is the NBA Cup championship game. Here’s a breakdown of the current odds and USA TODAY Sports predictions for Tuesday’s game:
NBA Cup predictions: Spurs vs. Knicks picks
Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY Sports: Spurs 111, Knicks 106
‘This should be a fascinating matchup, and could sneakily be a surprise Finals preview — if not this season, perhaps in the future. Both teams are playing extremely well, but I’m going to give the Spurs a slight edge, assuming Victor Wembanyama will play more than he did during the semifinal upset over the Thunder, when he was on a tight minutes restriction. The Spurs are playing with confidence and swagger, and they’re finally healthy. Their speedy guards push tempo and are a matchup nightmare, but adding Wembanyama to the mix makes them a huge threat. And, defensively, Wembanyama changes the dynamic; he should complicate and foil Jalen Brunson’s attempts to get into the paint.’
Mark Giannotto, USA TODAY Sports: Knicks 125, Spurs 121
Last year’s NBA Cup served as validation of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s ascension to the top of the NBA, and it feels like the 2025 version of the league’s in-season tournament could potentially be about the rise of Victor Wembanyama to NBA superstardom. His return to the lineup helped push the Spurs past the Thunder in the semifinals, and his presence could be the deciding factor against a more battle-tested Knicks team. But New York has won nine of its past 10 games and its powerful starting five is especially dangerous in a winner-take-all scenario like this.
Jon Hoefling, USA TODAY Sports: Knicks 118, Spurs 110
While I do love the Spurs whenever Victor Wembanyama is on the floor, this is still one of the youngest teams in the NBA, and it’s hard to bet on a team so inexperienced in high-pressure situations. Furthermore, the Spurs are coming off arguably their biggest win of the season, and the biggest win of Wembanyama’s career, meaning they are probably due for a letdown in the championship – which isn’t that hard to predict considering how hot Jalen Brunson and the Knicks have been. New York has won nine of its last 10, and Brunson is averaging 37.5 in the NBA Cup knockout rounds.
NBA Cup odds for Spurs vs. Knicks
The New York Knicks are considered favorites over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup championship game.
Odds according to BetMGM as of December 15:
Spread: Knicks (-2.5)
Moneyline: Knicks (-140); Spurs (+115)
Over/under: 228.5
NBA Cup MVP odds
Odds according to BetMGM as of December 15:
Jalen Brunson (-115)
Victor Wembanyama (+325)
De’Aaron Fox (+475)
Karl-Anthony Towns (+3000)
Devin Vassell (+6600)
OG Anunoby (+10,000)
Mikal Bridges (+10,000)
Josh Hart (+10,000)