Thirty teams, six groups and one trip to Indianapolis on the line. The NBA Cup opens Friday with 10 games, and BetMGM is giving new users bonus code FOXNEWS to unlock up to $1,500 in First Bet Cover. If your first wager loses, BetMGM refunds your stake in bonus bets.
Opening night of a group stage is where the market is thinnest. Books have a handful of regular-season games to go on, rosters are still settling, and every team in a five-team group knows one loss can end its Cup hopes before December. That’s the kind of slate where a backstop on your first bet matters most. Last year, the NBA Cup winner went on to win the NBA Finals. Could we see that again this season?
Knicks at 76ers, 7:30 p.m. ET: The Knicks swept the Cup and the NBA title last year, but they’ve opened this season flat. Philadelphia has Tyrese Maxey and LeBron James at home in the toughest group in the East. If you think the champs are being priced on last year’s résumé, this is the spot to test it.
Rockets at Mavericks, 8:00 p.m. ET: Kevin Durant against Cooper Flagg, with Kyrie Irving back for Dallas. West Group A also includes Denver, so the Mavericks can’t afford to give away a home game on night one.
Lakers at Warriors, 10:00 p.m. ET: Luka Dončić runs the show in Los Angeles now, and Golden State’s rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has been one of the early storylines of the season. Late tip, national spotlight, two teams in a West Group C that also has San Antonio.
The knockout rounds start Dec. 4, and the championship is Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Get your first wager covered up to $1,500 with BetMGM bonus code FOXNEWS.