When Victor Wembanyama was drafted first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, he was touted as the man who would return the San Antonio Spurs to glory.
After two years of on-the-job training, Wembanyama has led the Spurs to the NBA Cup championship game.
San Antonio upset the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder 111-109 as 10-point dogs in the NBA Cup semifinal game. It was only the second loss suffered by the Thunder this year.
Wembanyama returned from injury to score 22 points with nine rebounds for the Spurs.
Now the Spurs face the most impressive team from the Eastern Conference.
The New York Knicks routed the Orlando Magic 132-120 in the semifinal as 4-point chalks for an easy cover against the NBA odds.
2025 NBA Cup Final Preview
On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, the San Antonio Spurs will host the New York Knicks at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Tipoff time is 8:30 p.m. ET with television coverage on Amazon Prime
Public Betting Odds Factors
- The Spurs have captured the imagination of the betting public after beating Oklahoma City in the semifinal.
- Sharp gamblers see the Spurs as a dangerous, capable, live underdog.
- The casual sector is enamored with the New York Knicks.
- Gamblers appreciate the large profit margin of New York this season.
2025 NBA Cup Final Predictions
Handicapping Factors to Consider
- New York will get plenty of support as a legacy franchise that is in excellent form.
- Bargain hunters will lean towards the Spurs and Wembanyama.
- San Antonio is an emerging power in the West.
- By taking out Oklahoma City, San Antonio has proven it can beat the best.
- New York is overpriced with too much casual sector money.
Spurs vs. Knicks Prime Best Bet: San Antonio Spurs
2025 NBA Cup Final Betting Tips
- New York opened as a 2.5-point favorite with San Antonio as a 2.5-point dog.
- New York is a -126 moneyline chalk with San Antonio at +108.
- The Knicks and Spurs opened with an o/u total of 227.5.
New York Knicks
- The New York Knicks are 18-7 straight up, 17-8 against the spread, and 13-12 over/under the total.
- New York has covered nine of its last 10 games.
- The Knicks have gone under the total in seven of their previous ten matchups.
- New York is 2nd in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. New York is two games behind the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
- New York has NBA metrics of 5th for scoring offense, 11th for field goal percentage, 5th for 3-point field goal percentage, 12th for free throw percentage, and 4th for offensive rebounding.
- On defense, the Knicks have NBA metrics of 4th for scoring defense, 6th for field goal percentage permitted, 16th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 4th for defensive rebounding.
San Antonio Spurs
- The San Antonio Spurs are 18-7 straight up, 14-10-1 against the spread, and 14-11 over/under the total.
- Late on, San Antonio has covered six out of their last nine games.
- The Spurs have gone over the total in six of their previous eight matchups.
- San Antonio is 4th in the Western Conference playoff standings. San Antonio is 5.5 games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference playoff race.
- San Antonio ranks 8th in scoring offense, 10th in field goal percentage, 10th in 3-point field goal percentage, 13th in free throw percentage, and 10th in offensive rebounding.
- On defense, the Spurs have NBA metrics of 11th for scoring defense, 14th for field goal percentage permitted, 24th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 6th for defensive rebounding.
2025 NBA Cup Final Head-to-Head and Key Stats
- In the series between the Knicks and Spurs, San Antonio got the money in five of the most recent six meetings.
- San Antonio and New York went over the total in five of those six games.
- The Spurs covered the spread in 11 of their last 16 games as a pup.
- San Antonio went over the total in four of its last six games when getting points.
- New York has paid out in 15 of its most recent 18 games when laying points. The Knicks went under the total in eight of their last 11 games as chalk.
