There were 225 possible combinations of NBA teams that could have comprised tonight’s Emirates NBA Cup final, but it’s hard to come up with a more compelling matchup than the one NBA fans will actually be treated to: New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs. The Knicks are an established Eastern Conference power looking to finally get over the hump, while the Spurs’ young talent seemingly gets better with each passing game.
San Antonio wouldn’t have won the semifinal against the Oklahoma City Thunder if not for Victor Wembanyama, but it’s another Spurs rising star, Stephon Castle, who helped carry the team through the tournament up until that point. Castle, the reigning Rookie of the Year, has averaged 18.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game and his two-point percentage has jumped from 50.1% to 60.6% and he’s become an elite perimeter defender, though his three-point shot still isn’t there.
The NBA Cup final will begin at 8:40 p.m. ET at T-Mobile Arena just off the Las Vegas Strip.
San Antonio is a 2.5-point underdog for tonight’s game at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set to 233.5. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bets centered around the less-heralded partner of Area 51.
Best Stephon Castle Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Stephon Castle 20+ Points (+126)
10 games ago, New York made a major change to its starting lineup, removing Mitchell Robinson and re-inserting Josh Hart in a return to the lineup that it used for almost all of the 2024-25 season. While that unit didn’t work in 2024-25, posting a minus-7.4 net rating in 334 minutes in the postseason, it’s been remarkable (plus-17.8) in 77 minutes so far in 2025-26. In the last 10 games since Hart re-entered the lineup, the Knicks have allowed the fewest points, fourth-fewest rebounds, and fewest assists per game. Castle certainly won’t have it easy.
Then again, this is a 21-year-old who seemingly gets better with each passing game, and he just dropped 22 points despite not playing all that well overall against an ultra-physical Oklahoma City Thunder team whose defensive rating is 6.5 points per 100 possessions better than New York’s, even over the last 10 games. Plus, compared to the Thunder, the Knicks haven’t been quite as sharp in rim protection, allowing 3.4 more made shots in the restricted area than Oklahoma City. New York also likes to leave opponents unguarded from deep, allowing the third-most uncontested triples with its new-look lineup, and while Castle is still pretty bad from deep, he’s five-for-10 on wide-open threes since returning from a hip strain.
Stephon Castle U0.5 Steals (+181)
The fact that Castle hasn’t recorded a steal in any of the last three games is noteworthy, given that he had gone swipe-less just twice in his first 13 games of the season and only had one three-game steal drought in his rookie campaign (and zero four-game steal droughts). There’s a reason, though: the Spurs explicitly emphasized not fouling Luka Dončić in their semifinal win over the Los Angeles Lakers and did the same with Gilgeous-Alexander on Saturday. It’s a strategy that’s clearly worked for San Antonio, given the results, but it also necessitates that Castle not gamble for steals.
Jalen Brunson plays similarly to Dončić and Gilgeous-Alexander, ranking seventh in the league in drives per game (behind Gilgeous-Alexander but ahead of Dončić), third in time of possession (behind Dončić but ahead of Gilgeous-Alexander), and 14th in isolations per game (behind both Gilgeous-Alexander and Dončić). Compared to even these decorated peers, Brunson is exceptional with the ball, posting the lowest turnover rate among the 36 players to drive at least 12 times per game. Plus, 30 of his 46 turnovers this season have come on bad passes, which are less likely to result in a Castle steal since he’ll likely be Brunson’s primary on-ball defender.
