Congress does not like to look stupid so they will go along with him so they won’t get blamed for a shutdown.. He can pull an Obama and it’s my way or the Highway.. Also he has already said if congress sends him a bill laden with pork he will veto!!!
And just think how a shutdown managed by Cruz would go. He would be able to tell people that only non-essential services get shut down. He might be able to use some discretion to shut down a lot of government pork.