The knockout rounds of NBA Cup tournament are about to tip off, with eight of the league's best teams set to battle it out for some serious cash prizes.

The quarterfinals will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, with the semifinals and Finals moving to Las Vegas beginning on Saturday. Complete bracket and details can be found here.

Before the NBA Cup heats up, it's time to make some predictions to see who will come away the winner and take home $500,000 per player in prize money.

With the Los Angeles Lakers (last year's champions), Boston Celtics (2024 NBA champions) and Cleveland Cavaliers (best record in the league at 21-4) all eliminated from the tournament, the path to Vegas is wide open.

Quarterfinals: Orlando Magic at Milwaukee Bucks

Game Date/Time: Tuesday, Dec. 10; 7 p.m. ET

The 17-9 Orlando Magic have a 3.5 game lead over the 12-11 Milwaukee Bucks in the East standings, although these two franchises are heading in opposite directions.

The Bucks have been red-hot as of late, shaking off a putrid 2-8 start to the season to go 10-3 since the middle of November. Khris Middleton recently returned from ankle surgeries and Giannis Antetokounmpo is leading the NBA in scoring (32.5 points per game).

Orlando has used a No. 3-ranked defense (105.7 rating) to survive Paolo Banchero's absence due to a torn oblique muscle, yet it will now be without second-leading scorer Franz Wagner indefinitely due to the same injury.

The Magic only have a chance here if they muddy the game up, keep Antetokounmpo out of the paint and get a big scoring night out of Jalen Suggs.

With Orlando's two best players out, expect the Bucks to move on.

Winner: Milwaukee Bucks

Quarterfinals: Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder

Game Date/Time: Tuesday, Dec. 10; 9:30 p.m. ET

The Dallas Mavericks-Oklahoma City Thunder matchup is the tastiest of all four in the first round, as both teams come in (fairly) healthy and playing excellent ball.

Dallas has been the hottest team in the league lately, going 9-1 over their past 10 games with a plus-11.8 net rating. OKC has survived an injury to Chet Holmgren thanks to the return of Isaiah Hartenstein (11.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.3 blocks a game).

In a battle of elite offense (Dallas) vs. elite defense (OKC), expect the Thunder to keep Luka Dončić and company in check.

The Thunder are 9-2 this season on their home floor and should be hungry to exact revenge on the Mavericks, the team that knocked them out of the 2024 playoffs.

This is going to be an extremely close battle, with the Thunder ultimately riding a big game from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to victory.

Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder

Quarterfinals: Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks

Game Date/Time: Wednesday, Dec. 11; 7 p.m. ET

Trae Young vs. the New York Knicks is always must-see TV, and there's plenty of other talent in this game for fans to want to tune in.

The Knicks have been the better team this season (15-9 vs. Atlanta's 13-12 record), yet they shouldn't take this Hawks team lightly.

Atlanta has been the ultimate giant killer this year, possessing a 5-1 record against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks, all teams ahead of them in the standings.

This Hawks roster is big, athletic and long around Young with the additions of Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher and a healthy Jalen Johnson. Over the last 10 games they are No. 15 defensively, a big jump from previous years.

On paper, the Knicks should win, yet we can't ignore Atlanta's record against good teams and the fact that the Hawks are already 1-0 vs. New York this season.

The pesky (and fun) Hawks advance.

Winner: Atlanta Hawks

Quarterfinals: Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets

Game Date/Time: Wednesday, Dec. 11; 9:30 p.m. ET

Two of the (surprisingly) best teams in the West this season, the Golden State Warriors hope their big-game experience will win out against a young Houston Rockets squad.

The Warriors may have the vets necessary to win the game, but are Stephen Curry and Draymond Green really going to get up for an NBA Cup game after winning four championships? Will prize money have the same effect on a Golden State team that possesses four players who have already passed $100 million or more in career earnings?

Simply put, this game will mean more to a young and hungry Houston team that has seven players still on rookie contracts.

With Golden State slumping lately (2-6 in their last eight games), expect the Rockets to advance here.

Winner: Houston Rockets

Semifinals: Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Game Date/Location: Saturday, Dec. 14 in Las Vegas

Somehow, someway, the teams that rank sixth and seventh in the Eastern Conference have advanced to the NBA Cup semifinals.

The Bucks have earned this spot through recent hot play, while the Hawks have made it through their ability to play up to their competition.

In a game full of stars featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young, Damian Lillard, Jalen Johnson and others, both team's benches may have the final say.

Atlanta gave up 56 points to the Antetokounmpo-Lillard pairing earlier this season, yet it still won 119-104 thanks to a 50-31 edge in reserve scoring.

Atlanta is the deeper overall team and has proved it can beat the Bucks even with an off night from Young (17 points on 6-of-19 shooting, seven assists in their Dec. 4 win).

The Hawks continue to play well against the best teams in the East with a win here. To the Finals they go.

Winner: Atlanta Hawks

Semifinals: Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Game Date/Location: Saturday, Dec. 14 in Las Vegas

Two of the most exciting young teams in the West square off here, as the Oklahoma City Thunder (18-5) and Houston Rockets (16-8) rank No. 1 and 3 in the conference, respectively.

Both will want to win the NBA Cup to prove to the rest of the league that their time is quickly arriving. Only one total player on these rosters (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) has signed a full-length, max contract to the point, so there's a lot of financial motivation for these teams as well.

The Rockets' 105.4 defensive rating is the second-best mark in the entire NBA. Unfortunately for Houston, OKC's is the only one better (103.3).

The Thunder also hold the edge in playoff experience, as they reached the Western Conference semifinals last season while Houston fell just short of the play-in tournament.

Expect a close game, with Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder moving on to the Cup Finals.

Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder

Finals: Atlanta Hawks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Game Date/Location: Tuesday, Dec. 17 in Las Vegas

It's Shai vs. Trae in the NBA Cup Finals, with a battle of the Jalens as a tasty side dish.

These two teams have only met once this season, a decisive 128-104 Oklahoma City Thunder victory on Oct. 27. The Thunder roster will look different this time around, though, with Isaiah Hartenstein in to take the place of the now-injured Chet Holmgren.

The Atlanta Hawks' Jalen Johnson (seven points, 3-of-13 shooting) struggled mightily against Jalen Williams and company in their first meeting.

With players such as Williams, Hartenstein, Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace and others, this Thunder team is perfectly suited to match the size and athleticism that powers the Hawks offense on most nights.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn't seem to be bothered by Dyson Daniels and company in their earlier meeting either, nearly posting a triple double (35 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists) to go along with three blocks and three steals.

The Hawks are good, but the Thunder are legitimate NBA title contenders. OKC wins the NBA Cup and begins to plant its flag as the next potential dynasty.

Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder