The 82-game NBA regular season is complete and now the exciting Play-In Tournament is set to commence on Tuesday with several intriguing matchups.
For those bettors who might not be familiar with the Play-In Tournament, or simply need a refresher, here’s work it works:
The tournament begins with the seventh-placed team in each conference playing the eighth-placed team while the ninth-placed team plays the 10th-placed team. The winner of the 7-8 game will secure the seventh seed in the playoffs, while the loser will meet the winner of the 9-10 game for the eighth seed.
Western Conference Play-In Tournament
In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers (No. 8 seed) will visit the New Orleans Pelicans (No. 7 seed) to kick off the tournament on Tuesday evening. These teams just met on Sunday, with the Lakers spoiling the Pelicans’ chances of securing a top-six seed in the conference with a 124-108 victory. The Pelicans’ loss allowed the Phoenix Suns to clinch the No. 6 seed and avoid the Play-In Tournament entirely.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, has battled nagging injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, among others, all season long, but don’t be mistaken, no one wants to line up against the battle-tested Lakers, who already won the inaugural NBA Cup this season, in the playoffs.
Bet on Lakers vs. Pelicans
LAL +1
NOP -1
Later on Tuesday night, the Golden State Warriors (No. 10 seed) will battle the Sacramento Kings (No. 9 seed). Much like the Lakers, Golden State still boasts an impressive veteran roster led by Steph Curry that could do some serious damage in the postseason. The Warriors ended the season with wins in 10 of their last 12 games, but Curry is battling an ankle injury and may not be 100% for the Play-In Tournament.
The Kings, who won the Pacific Division last season with a 48-34 record, now find themselves in a dogfight despite their respectable 46-36 record this year. After dropping the first two meetings with the Warriors this season, the Kings have responded with back-to-back one-point victories over Golden State in the subsequent clashes. This should be another close battle that comes down to the wire.
| Away Team | Best Spread Odds | Home Team | Best Spread Odds | Date/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers (8) | +3.5 @ PROLINE + | New Orleans Pelicans (7) | +1 @ FanDuel | April 16, 7:30 PM |
| Golden State Warriors (10) | -1.5 @ PROLINE + | Sacramento Kings (9) | +2.5 @ Pinnacle | April 16, 10:00 PM |
| Miami Heat (8) | +4.5 @ Pinnacle | Philadelphia 76ers (7) | -3.5 @ PROLINE + | April 17, 7:00 PM |
| Atlanta Hawks (10) | +3 @ Pinnacle | Chicago Bulls (9) | -2.5 @ PROLINE + | April 17, 9:30 PM |
Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament
After two incredible Western Conference matchups on Tuesday night, bettors will be treated to another heavyweight matchup when the Miami Heat visit the Philadelphia 76ers. Jimmy Butler and the Heat have enjoyed deep playoff runs in three of the past four seasons, including a pair of trips to the NBA Finals. It’s very apparent that the postseason brings out the best in this veteran Heat squad, but it won’t be easy to slip past the 76ers, who have been bolstered by the return of Joel Embiid. The reigning MVP was limited to just 39 games due to injury this season, but he’s had five games in April to round back into game shape and prepare for the playoffs. Had Embiid been healthy all year, the Sixers likely would’ve avoided the Play-In Tournament entirely by capturing a higher seed in the conference.
And to round out the first slate of Play-In games, we have the Atlanta Hawks visiting the Chicago Bulls. This is no doubt the least intriguing initial matchup with both teams finishing with records under .500. Atlanta has lost six straight games entering the contest and took just one of the three meetings between the two teams during the regular season. Trae Young played in Atlanta’s final three regular season contests after missing 23 games with a finger injury, but he averaged just 15 points per game in those final three.
Remaining Play-In Tournament games will be played on Friday night.
NBA outright odds
| Team | Sports Interaction Odds |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | +180 |
| Denver Nuggets | +300 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | +1200 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +1300 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | +1600 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +1800 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +1800 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +2000 |
| Phoenix Suns | +2000 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +3500 |
| New York Knicks | +3500 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +4000 |
| Miami Heat | +4000 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | +6600 |
| Golden State Warriors | +8000 |
| Indiana Pacers | +12500 |
| Orlando Magic | +15000 |
| Sacramento Kings | +20000 |
| Atlanta Hawks | +100000 |
| Chicago Bulls | +100000 |
