We’re down to the last four teams in the second edition of the NBA Cup, which means we’re heading to Vegas for the semi-finals. Both games are set to play out on Sunday, with the Hawks vs Bucks game to be followed by the Rockets vs Thunder. We bring you our preview and best bet for both NBA Cup semi-finals 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!
NBA Cup Semi-Finals Betting Tips
Atlanta Hawks vs Milwaukee Bucks (Sunday 8:30am AEDT)
The Hawks took care of business in New York last outing in front of what was a hostile crowd, particularly towards Trae Young. After a slow start, the Hawks took control in the middle portion of the game to book their ticket to Vegas. The Hawks are rolling right now with seven wins from their last eight games, and have won four from their past four away from home.
The Bucks found themselves in a dog fight against the undermanned Magic in their home encounter last outing, but managed to do enough to come away with a five-point win. That made it back-to-back wins after they suffered consecutive losses for the first time since early November. Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his career-best form with another 37 points in the win.
Both clubs are in excellent form which is of no surprise considering they’ve made it to the final four of the NBA Cup. However, the Bucks have the superior star-level talent and I expect the likes of Giannis and Dame to come up big here. It’s a fantastic opportunity to add to their long list of achievements in the NBA and I believe they’ll be too strong for the plucky Hawks.
Bucks -3.5
$1.85 (2.5 Units)
Houston Rockets vs OKC Thunder (Sunday 12:30pm AEDT)
The Rockets have been one of the big surprise packets in the NBA this season and to make it to the final four in the second edition of the NBA Cup is a great achievement. They escaped almost the inescapable last outing against the Warriors, coming back from six points down in the final minute to claim an unlikely victory. The Rockets enter this clash having won two in a row and seven of their past 10 games and loom as one of the dark horses in the Western Conference.
The Thunder finished atop of the conference last season and look a good thing to repeat the dose this campaign. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to dominate and has helped his side to four wins in a row and eight from their past nine. Most recently, the Thunder defeated the Mavericks by 14 points on their home deck, which also made it four straight wins by a double-figure margin.
I’ve loved the intensity in which the Rockets have been playing with this season, but they’ll need to be a lot more efficient on the offensive end if they’re to match motors with the Thunder here. In my opinion, the Thunder are the team to beat in the West this season and I expect them to come out on top relatively comfortably in this one.
Thunder -5.5
$1.90 (2 Units)
