It’s NBA Cup week which means there’s only the best of the best matching up against each other, making for plenty of must-watch basketball. On Thursday we get a double-header of West Quarterfinals, with the Suns taking on the Thunder followed by the Spurs at Lakers. We bring you our full game preview and best bet for both clashes below!
NBA Betting Tips: Thursday, December 11th 2025
Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder (11:30 am AEDT)
The Phoenix Suns travel to the Paycom Center to face the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder in a highly anticipated NBA Cup Quarter-Final. The current betting line suggests a massive blowout with the Thunder at a spread of -15.5 points, but the true betting opportunity somewhat hinges on the injury status of one player.
The key factor here is the availability of Phoenix's star guard, Devin Booker (groin). Booker was scheduled to be re-evaluated on the day of this game, and reports state he has been on the court, making his status officially Questionable and up in the air. The Suns are already without key contributor Jalen Green (hamstring). The Thunder (23-1) are riding an incredible 15-game winning streak and are the best team in the NBA. If Booker is OUT, the massive -15.5 spread is definitely in play for the Thunder.
However, if Booker PLAYS, the Suns become a completely different team, capable of challenging OKC's top-tier defence and making the scoreline much tighter, as seen in their close Group Stage match-up (123-119 OKC win). Due to the uncertainty, the safest angle is to look at the Over/Under. The Thunder are an offensive machine (123.0 PPG), and the Suns, even without Booker, have proved capable of scoring in bunches, as they showed by putting up 108 points in a recent win over the defensive-minded Timberwolves. The combined scoring average of the two teams is far above the total line. Betting on a high-paced, high-emotion knockout game with the league's top offence is the best play.
Over 226.5 Points
$1.90 (2 Units)
San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers (2:00 pm AEDT)
The San Antonio Spurs travel to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers in a Western Conference Quarter-Final that pits two high-powered offences against each other. The betting line for this match-up favours the Lakers at a spread of -4.5 points, reflecting their strong home form.
Again, one of the key factors here is the availability of the Spurs’ franchise centre, Victor Wembanyama (calf), whose status is still officially Questionable for this game. Wembanyama has missed 11 games but returned to practice, and his presence is a game-changer. If Wembanyama PLAYS, his elite rim protection and scoring ability make the Spurs (16-7) a massive threat to cover the spread or even win outright. If he is OUT, the Spurs lose a massive edge against Luka Doncic and the Lakers’ interior-focused offence.
Regardless of Wembanyama's status, the Lakers (17-6) have been dominant at home, where 100% of their games this season have gone Over the total set by bookmakers, the strongest scoring trend in the league. With the total set at 234.5 points, the historical trend combined with the stakes of a knockout match makes the Over the highest-confidence play.
Over 235.5 Points
$1.90 (2 Units)
