2024 NBA betting: Three picks for the NBA Cup final - ESPN

The NBA Cup final has arrived, and it has followed chalk exactly. The top seed in the West, Oklahoma City, will take on the top seed in the East, Milwaukee. This is fitting, because these are also two of the hottest teams in the NBA.

The Thunder has the best record in the Western Conference, and their +12.1 point scoring margin is the top mark in the NBA. Meanwhile, the Bucks got off to a slow start this season, but have bounced back in a big way as winners of 10 of their last 12.

Here are the betting angles of interest in tonight's big matchup.

Note: This stats from the NBA Cup final don't count in ESPN Fantasy leagues.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 32.5 points (-105)

Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged more than 30 PPG for the third straight season, upping his scoring to 32.8 PPG during the past month (12 games). He has been similarly potent during the NBA Cup, putting up 32.2 PPG in those six games with a 39-point effort against Dallas. Gilgeous-Alexander will need to step up against a team as hot as the Bucks, and Milwaukee has struggled to defend opposing point guards, allowing the third-highest scoring average to the position in the NBA.

Bobby Portis over 7.5 rebounds (-120)

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While the Thunder are one of the toughest defenses in the NBA, they tend to play a smaller lineup with one center and several wings. As a result, one area they do cede to their opponents is rebounding. OKC allows the fourth-most rebounds to opposing centers (16.0 RPG). Portis has been