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NBA Cup Champion Odds: Thunder Heavily Favored Over Bucks, Rocket Hawks Ahead of Semis
The NBA Cup Semifinals are set, as the Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets won on Wednesday night in the quarterfinals to punch their tickets to Las Vegas.
NBA fans have to wait until Saturday for the semifinals to kick off, where the Hawks take on the Milwaukee Bucks and the Oklahoma City Thunder face Houston.
Oddsmakers have set the opening odds for those matchups, and the Thunder are five-point favorites against Houston while the Bucks are 3.5-point favorites against Atlanta. These teams have actually played each other already this season, with Houston beating OKC by three and Atlanta knocking off Milwaukee by 15.
Does that alter how oddsmakers view the futures market for the NBA Cup? Here's a look at the latest odds.
Latest Odds to Win NBA Cup in 2024-25 Season
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: +125
- Milwaukee Bucks: +230
- Houston Rockets: +400
- Atlanta Hawks: +600
Thunder Favored to Win NBA Cup
As expected, the 19-5 Thunder are the favorites to win the NBA Cup, and one could argue that Houston (No. 2 in the West) is the toughest team left in the bracket.
I actually think there is some value in betting on both of the teams out West, as they've both been superior squads to the East teams remaining and rank No. 1 (OKC) and No. 2 (Houston) in the NBA in defensive rating.
These odds very clearly reflect who oddsmakers believe will advance out of the semis, and the Thunder would likely be favored against the Bucks or Hawks in the NBA Cup Final -- if they advance.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting. He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.