The regular season is over but the final few playoff spots in each conference are still to be decided. The NBA Play-In tournament will begin on Tuesday night, with four teams from each conference taking part and battling for a playoffs berth.
We bring you our best betting picks for each Play-In game for free right here!
NBA Play-In Tournament Betting Picks
Atlanta Hawks at Miami Heat
Tuesday April 11th, 7:30pm ET, Kaseya Center
Winner scenario: The winner of this game will take on the #2 seed Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.
Loser scenario: The loser will play the winner of the Bulls at Raptors game for a spot in the playoffs.
This has been a one-sided matchup in recent seasons in favour of the Hear, particularly this season where they’ve come out on top in three of their four meetings. On top of that, the Heat have been in better form over the past couple of weeks and will be the more confident team in the matchup. Simply, the Heat are the deserving favorites and should be winning this.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers
Tuesday April 11th, 10pm ET, Crypto.com Arena
Winner scenario: The winner of this game will take on the #2 seed Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs.
Loser scenario: The loser will play the winner of the Thunder at Pelicans game for a spot in the playoffs.
The Timberwolves finished the regular season with three wins in a row but it certainly wasn’t all sunshine and lollipops. In their most recent game, Rudy Gobert punched a teammate during a timeout, which saw him thrown out of the game and suspended for this Play-In matchup. There’s clearly some troubles in the Timberwolves locker room at the moment and when coupled with the Lakers superior form, I see this being a one-sided affair.
Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors
Wednesday April 12th, 7pm ET, Scotiabank Arena
Winner scenario: The winner will play the loser of the Hawks at Heat game for a spot in the playoffs.
Loser scenario: The loser is eliminated.
The Bulls have made the Play-In Tournament despite finishing the regular season with a record below 500. They were the beneficiaries of a weak Eastern Conference and they’re expected to be found out against the Raptors on Wednesday night. The Raptors had the fourth best home record in the regular season and I fancy them to get the job done here.
OKC Thunder at New Orleans Pelicans
Wednesday April 12th, 9:30pm ET, Smoothie King Center
Winner scenario: The winner will play the loser of the Timberwolves at Lakers game for a spot in the playoffs.
Loser scenario: The loser is eliminated.
The Thunder defied the odds and made the Play-In Tournament despite being the youngest team in the NBA, with an average age of 22.8. They may not make a deep run in this post-season, but the building blocks are clearly there. Still, they find themselves against a more experienced and determined Pelicans outfit and I can’t see them overcoming the odds on this occasion, albeit in a close game.
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