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The regular season is wrapped up, and NBA Play-In Tournament odds are on the board, sparking the road to the NBA Finals.
We have two games tipping off tonight — the Heat vs. Hornets and Trail Blazers vs. Suns — with the loser of Miami/Charlotte done for the year, while the winner of Phoenix/Portland claims the No. 7 seed in the postseason.
Here are the latest NBA odds for those games, as well as the odds for tomorrow’s two matchups.
Current NBA Play-In Tournament odds
Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets odds
Tuesday, April 14, 7:30 p.m., Prime Video
See our best bet and SGP for this game in our Heat vs. Hornets predictions.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Phoenix Suns odds
Tuesday, April 14, 10:00 p.m., Prime Video
See our best bet and SGP for this game in our Trail Blazers vs. Suns predictions.
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Orlando Magic vs. Philadelphia 76ers odds
Wednesday, April 15, 7:30 p.m., Prime Video
Our Magic vs. 76ers predictions (with a best bet and SGP) are coming soon!
Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers odds
Wednesday, April 15, 10:00 p.m., Prime Video
See our best bet and SGP for this game in our Trail Blazers vs. Suns predictions.
NBA Play-In Tournament schedule
The schedule for the SoFI NBA Play-In Tournament, which runs from Tuesday, April 14 to Friday, April 17, is as follows.
Current projected NBA Play-In Tournament bracket
Tuesday, April 14
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Heat (10) vs. Hornets (9) – 7:30 p.m ET | Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Winner faces loser of PHI/ORL for No. 8 seed, loser is eliminated. -
Trail Blazers (8) vs. Suns (7) – 10:00 p.m ET | Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, AZ
Winner claims West No. 7 seed, loser faces winner of LAC/GSW for No. 8 seed.
Wednesday, April 15
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Magic (8) vs. 76ers (7) – 7:30 p.m ET | Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Winner claims East No. 7 seed, loser plays CHA/MIA winner for No. 8 seed -
Warriors (10) vs. Clippers (9) – 10:00 p.m ET | Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA
Winner faces loser of PHO/POR for No. 8 seed, loser is eliminated.
Friday, April 17
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9/10 winner vs. 7/8 loser – 7:30 p.m ET | TBD
Winner claims East No. 8 seed, loser is eliminated -
9/10 winner vs. 7/8 loser – 10:00 p.m ET | TBD
Winner claims West No. 8 seed, loser is eliminated
Popular NBA futures odds
What is the NBA Play-In Tournament?
The NBA Play-In Tournament is a relatively new wrinkle in the league’s playoff format. Instead of the Top 8 teams all being guaranteed playoff spots, the 7-through-10 seeds in each conference are entered into a mini-tournament, taking place shortly after the regular season’s conclusion, determining the East and West’s final two playoff spots.
NBA Play-In Tournament format
Here’s how the Play-In Tournament works:
For each conference, the 7 and 8 seeds earn double-elimination status and play each other, while the 9 and 10 seeds play in a single-elimination game. The winner of the 7-8 game earns the No. 7 seed, while the loser of the 7-8 game then plays the winner of the 9-10 game for the No. 8 seed.
From there, the playoffs begin in earnest, following the traditional bracket format.
Covers NBA betting tools
When was the NBA Play-In Tournament introduced?
The Play-In Tournament was introduced, in a beta concept form, for the 2020 season as part of the league’s plans for a bubble re-launch during the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic — originally just with the 8 and 9 seeds playing.
After positive initial impressions from both fans and media, the Play-In Tournament was expanded to its current format and introduced, however unideal the timing, for a 2020-21 season that was already marred by pandemic absences and injuries.
NBA Play-In Tournament trends
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2023 marked the first upsets in the opening round of games, with the lower seed taking three of the four games.
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2023 was fruitful for the eventual success of play-in teams, with the 7-seed Los Angeles Lakers going on a run to the Western Conference Finals, and the 8-seed Miami Heat making it all the way to the NBA Finals.
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