3 Best Bets and Player Props for the Emirates NBA Cup Championship Game: Bucks vs. Thunder

The Emirates NBA Cup concludes today as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks battle for the second crown. Who knew we'd get a potential NBA Finals preview out of this year's dance?

As a reminder, numberFire's NBA power rankings and daily NBA projections paired with advanced stats from the NBA can help give the inside track to quality bets.

While utilizing some of the mentioned tools, lets see which NBA odds from FanDuel Sportsbook look like the best bets for today's championship game.

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Best Bets and Player Props for Bucks-Thunder in the NBA Cup Championship

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published. All injury news comes from the NBA's official injury report.

Bucks +5 (-112)

Darvin Ham don't lose in the Cup, right?

Whether it's Milwaukee's assistant coach bringing positive vibes or not, the Bucks' season has turned a corner during the in-season tournament. Their +10.9 net rating (NRTG) during NBA Cup play trails that of only their opponent tonight, the Thunder (+12.6).

At the neutral site in Las Vegas on Sunday, I forecasted that Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo was a huge advantage in a foreign gym where shooting could be iffy. That played out exactly; the Bucks shot 31.1% from three but escaped because Antetokounmpo dropped 32 points without an attempt from deep.

Size is the key theme of this matchup to me. OKC allows the very most second-chance points per game (16.0) opposite a Bucks team now rolling out Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis -- even at times all together. Those extra possessions could be huge when the Bucks are seventh in defensive rebounding (72.4% DREB) on the other end.

I'll take the points in what should be a phenomenal matchup. In a winner-take-all setting, the 2021 NBA Champs' pedigree isn't a bad thing.

Khris Middleton Over 11.5 Points and Rebounds (-113)

If there's going to be a spot where the Bucks truly unshackle Khris Middleton, the extra cash on the line might be a reason.

Even if it doesn't, Middleton has the best positional matchup on the board for the Bucks while averaging a decent 21.3 minutes per game during the month of December. OKC -- at the bottom of most categories allowed to any position -- coughs up the ninth-most points and fifth-most rebounds per game to opposing small forwards.

The former All-Star's impact has been fun-sized yet mighty. He's posted 12.0 points and 5.1 rebounds per 36 minutes despite horrendous 25.9% shooting to this point.

Forecasting improvement, our NBA DFS projections expect 10.3 points and 3.9 rebounds from Middleton on Tuesday.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 5.5 Rebounds (+106)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doesn't usually make him imprint on the glass, but the massive stakes and a lower game total than normal for Oklahoma City (215.5) could both increase the need for him to do so.

SGA averages 5.7 rebounds per 36 minutes with Chet Holmgren off the floor, and the Thunder's center is out for the long haul with a hip issue.

That's right on this line, but this matchup could produce an uptick in boards. Milwaukee allows the second-most rebounds per game to point guards (6.9) while allowing a bottom-10 rate to both centers and power forwards. That goes back to the size dynamic we discussed earlier.

Our projections are hip to the matchup, expecting 6.3 rebounds from Gilgeous-Alexander in 37.4 minutes of action.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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