Bucks vs Thunder: NBA Cup Final Preview, Odds, Predictions

Ricardo Klein | Dec 16, 2024

Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) and guard Damian Lillard (0) react during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images / Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks will look to capture their first-ever NBA Cup title on Tuesday night when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder, the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

The Bucks have completely turned their season around after a slow start. Since their 2-8 start, they've rattled off 12 wins in 15 games and are arguably the hottest team in the league. Now, they have a great shot at winning the NBACup title, plus a little bit more than half a million dollars for each player.

This year's championship game will feature two heavyweights, and the stage is set to battle in Las Vegas at the T-Moblie Arena. This is a clash between two perennial Finals contenders and two MVP candidates in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giannis Antetokunmpo.

According to BetMGM, the Bucks are the underdogs in this contest. The Thunder are 4.5-point favorites for Tuesday’s NBA Cup championship.

The Bucks and Thunder over/under are set at 214.5, Milwaukee's moneyline is +165, and the Thunder's moneyline is -195.

Oklahoma City will try to keep its four-game home win streak intact when the Thunder take on Milwaukee. The Thunder are fifth in the Western Conference, scoring 115.6 points while shooting 46.5 percent from the field.

The Bucks will be considered the away team in this contest. The Bucks have gone 4-7 away from home. Milwaukee is two for three in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Thunder's 13.9 made 3-pointers per game this season are just 0.3 more made shots on average than the 13.6 per game the Bucks give up. The Bucks score 9.8 more points per game (113.3) than the Thunder allow their opponents to score (103.5).

The Bucks and Thunder have been hot in their latest 10 games. The Thunder have gone 9-1 and averaged 117.1 points, 46.0 rebounds, 26.3 assists, 11.9 steals, and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 47.4 percent from the field. Their opponents have averaged 102.8 points per game.

The Bucks have an 8-2 record. In their last 10 games, they have averaged 116.3 points, 41.6 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 6.7 steals, and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 49.6 percent from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.4 points.

In the end, I'll go with the deeper team, the Thunder, to come out on top and capture the second NBA Cup title in its existence.

Thunder 107, Bucks 100

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