2 Best NBA Bets and Player Props for Knicks vs. Magic in the NBA Cup Semifinals

Even within a single game, betting markets are abundant.

You can bet traditional markets like the spread or the total, but we've also got tons of player-prop markets to sift through.

Which bets stand out Saturday as the New York Knicks and Orlando Magic meet up in Vegas at 5:30 p.m. ET in the NBA Cup semifinals?

Let's dig into the best bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA betting odds and NBA player props, utilizing FanDuel Research's NBA projections to try to find value.

Knicks vs. Magic Betting Picks

Knicks -4.5 (-110)

These two teams have been among the league's best this season, rating out fairly similarly in several areas. Despite that, I think the Knicks are an appealing bet to cover at this 4.5-point spread.

Per Dunks & Threes, the Magic (+4.5) and Knicks (+6.3) are close in adjusted net rating. But over the last 10 games, the net-rating gap widens a bit, with New York at +12.2 and Orlando at +8.2.

Franz Wagner being out is a big deal. Orlando has shown it can succeed without Paolo Banchero -- who is back -- this season, but it hasn't been that good with Franz out. With Wagner off the court this year and Banchero on, the Magic are scoring 114.0 points per 100 possessions but allowing 113.7 points per 100. There's a 3.1-point gap in Orlando's favor when the split is flipped (Franz on and Banchero off).

Of course, there's a chance it's small-sample noise as the Franz-off/Banchero-on split covers only 184 minutes. But for whatever reason, this year's version of the Magic -- with Desmond Bane in the fold -- hasn't quite clicked when Banchero has been healthy.

The Knicks can take advantage. New York is third in offensive rating and ninth in defensive rating over the last 10 games. New York has won eight of its last nine games, with all eight wins coming by at least six points. Last weekend, the Knicks bested the Magic by six, although that game was at MSG.

All in all, I like the Knicks chances to win and cover.

Paolo Banchero 2+ Made Threes (+102)

While I'm backing New York to cover, the Knicks' defense has a soft spot -- they let up a lot of three-point tries.

Banchero should have the ball in his hands a lot, and although he's not a good shooter, he can hit multiple three-balls in this game.

For his career, Banchero has made only 31.9% of his three-point attempts. That mark is at 29.8% for this season. But a year ago, he took 5.9 threes per game, and he's had success from three against the Knicks -- making at least two threes in four of his past five meetings with New York. In last weekend's game at the Garden, Banchero went 3 for 6 from three.

With Wagner off the court this year, Banchero owns a 31.2% usage rate -- up 3.8 percentage points from his season-long mark. In a big game and with Orlando's other top weapon out, usage probably won't be an issue for Banchero, and given the matchup, I'm intrigued by these plus-money odds on him to sink at least two treys.

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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.