NBA Cup Final Picks: Knicks vs Spurs Betting Breakdown

Jalen Brunson must think it’s the playoffs because he is awfully hot as he leads the New York Knicks into the NBA Cup final against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night in Las Vegas.

Brunson scored 30 or more points in four straight games to open last season’s playoffs and he has matched that streak heading into the final. First-year Knicks coach Mike Brown is even calling out people for not mentioning the star guard as an MVP candidate.

Meanwhile, the Spurs are taking this contest highly seriously after upsetting the Oklahoma City Thunder in the West final. San Antonio sees the contest as preparation for its expected playoff run this spring.

NEW YORK KNICKS VS. SAN ANTONIO SPURS

The Knicks have won five straight games and nine of their past 10 after beating the Orlando Magic in the East final. New York is clicking well under Brown and Brunson is averaging 34.5 points during his four-game streak.

The Knicks have topped 130 points in two of their past four games and will look to keep the offensive revved up. San Antonio topped 130 in back-to-back games before scoring 111 in the upset of the Thunder and the Spurs will look to keep the game at their pace.

San Antonio went 9-3 without star Victor Wembanyama (calf) and then flourished with the big man dominating the fourth quarter against the Thunder. The Spurs figure to put forth a stellar effort but it appears New York has the better chance of walking off the floor as a winner.

Knicks minus 2.5 spread, -115 (DraftKings)

Brunson scored a season-high 40 points against Orlando while also finding time to deliver eight assists. He has made 63% (29 of 46) of his field-goal attempts over the last two games and has made six 3-pointers in two of the past four games.

You can count on him hoisting the Knicks on his shoulders if the game is close down the stretch. Karl-Anthony Towns (21-plus points, +126) will serve in his usual No. 2 scoring role and he put up 29 points against the Magic for his third game of 29 or more points in his last five appearances.

De’Aaron Fox (21-plus points, -116) and Wembanyama (22-plus points, -111) figure to be San Antonio’s top scorers. But Stephon Castle (20-plus points, +148) has been hot the last two games, averaging 26 points on 63.3% (19 of 30) shooting, and he has a great price attached to his name.

Jalen Brunson to score 30-plus points, -130 (DraftKings)

Wembanyama didn’t start for the first time in his NBA career and was limited to 20-plus minutes in the victory over the Thunder. He came in at the outset of the second quarter and scored 15 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. San Antonio outscored Oklahoma City by 21 during the big man’s time on the floor.

The Spurs are considering bringing Wembanyama off the bench again Tuesday with coach Mitch Johnson saying the big picture must be kept in mind. Doing that means you can’t count on Wembanyama playing more than 25 minutes and that means his points, rebounds and blocked shots will likely be below his season averages.

That said, he still stands 7-foot-4. Brunson isn’t going to take every New York shot – we think – and the ball will come inside at times. Wembanyama blocked nine shots in 32 minutes against New Orleans in October and six in 36 minutes against Brooklyn in the next contest. He can surely block three shots in 25 minutes.

Victor Wembanyama to block three-plus shots, -128 (DraftKings)