It’s been another successful edition of the NBA Cup, and this year’s champion is set to be named on Wednesday with the Milwaukee Bucks and the OKC Thunder set to do battle in the final. It should be a cracking contest between two of the league’s genuine heavyweights, and we have you covered with our full preview and betting tips below!
Also, make sure to head over to our NBA Tips regularly, as we’ll be providing free tips for all the major slates for each and every week of the 2024-25 season!
2024 NBA Cup Final Preview & Betting Tips
Milwaukee Bucks vs OKC Thunder (Wednesday 12:30pm AEDT)
After a nightmare start to the season which they opened with eight losses from their first 10 games, the Milwaukee Bucks have completely turned things around and enter the Cup Final as one of the form teams in the NBA. The Bucks have won three in a row as well as 12 of their past 15 contests.
A huge part of their success over their past 15 games has been the insane play from their superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who’s the league’s leading scorer at 32.7 points per contest. Damian Lillard is also enjoying a much-improved sophomore season with the Bucks with improved stats and efficiency across the board.
The Bucks current injury report has the trio of Antetokounmpo, Lillard, and Khris Middleton all listed as ‘probable’ for Wednesday’s game as they’re all dealing with niggles, but you can be almost certain all three will be suiting up.
The OKC Thunder were the big surprise packet in the Western Conference a season ago when they finished with the best record, so there was always going to be high expectations coming into the 2024-25 season. Impressively, they look to have gone up another gear with 20 wins from 25 outings, which places them three games clear at the top of the conference.
The Thunder had a little bit of a tough patch when all three of their rostered centres were unavailable due to injury; however, Isaiah Hartenstein’s return made a big difference and they enter the Cup Final having won nine of their past 10 games.
The Thunder still have a lengthy injury list which means their rotations are limited. Chet Holmgren is the key piece that will be out on Wednesday as he continues to recover from a right iliac hip fracture.
Game Prediction: This is a mouth-watering matchup between two teams with star-studded squads. The Thunder are the clear favourites in the betting market and that’s no surprise considering they rank #8 in offence and #1 in defence this season, while the Bucks are a modest #10 in both. The Thunder also won their most recent meeting by a comfortable 18 points although that came back in mid-April.
The current otherworldly form of Antetokounmpo coupled with his reliable sidekick in Lillard always gives the Bucks a chance to win any game they play; however, the Thunder’s consistency from game to game and even quarter to quarter make them impossible to back against on Wednesday. The Bucks can certainly go on runs and push the Thunder all the way, but I’m keen to be with the favourites to win in a tight battle.
Thunder By 1-10 Points
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Giannis Antetokounmpo 30+ Points – Giannis will need to have a huge game for the Bucks to be right in this, and he should have a clear advantage attacking the paint due to the Thunder’s lack of size. He’s averaging a tick under 33 points per game this season and I love him for 30+ here.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 30+ Points – The ultra-consistent SGA comes into this contest averaging over 30 points per game and has had 30+ in five of his past six games, including 32 against the Rockets in the semi-finals. He’s virtually unguardable, has the best whistle in the game, and the Bucks don’t have an obvious matchup for him.
Jalen Williams 20+ Points – J Dub is probably the most underrated star in the NBA in my opinion. He’s the perfect sidekick to SGA and he rarely has a bad outing. He’s averaging just shy of 22 points per contest and will be tasked with playing heavy minutes on Wednesday.
