Rockets

2024 NBA Play-In Tournament Odds: Rockets Making Significant Push

The NBA Play-In Tournament provides ample opportunity for more teams to potentially qualify for the postseason, and even more chances for bettors to make big gains. 

The No. 7 through 10 seeds in both the Eastern and Western Conferences will participate in a mini-tournament to determine the final two seeds, with the following odds indicating which teams oddsmakers believe will be participating next month.

Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament Odds:

TeamOdds
Atlanta Hawks-10,000
Philadelphia 76ers-900
Miami Heat-110
Indiana Pacers+135
Orlando Magic+350
New York Knicks+1400
Cleveland Cavaliers+1400
Brooklyn Nets+1400

Odds as of March 27, 2024

Best Eastern Play-In Bet: Philadelphia 76ers, -900

With a 39-34 record SU as of March 27, the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves sitting eighth overall in the East with a full four-game advantage over the Chicago Bulls for the ninth spot. 

What once seemed like a surefire top-four seed now has now devolved into the Sixers fighting for their lives to stay out of the play-in tournament entirely, which is still very much possible being 1.5-games behind the Indiana Pacers.

East Contender: Miami Heat, -110

The Miami Heat can't seem to stay healthy, as a number of their core players consistently miss time during what's the most crucial stretch of the year. Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro remain sidelined, and Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo have sat sporadically for a number of reasons.

Having to get through the play-in tournament is nothing new to the franchise, so perhaps prioritizing rest above all else is the long-term plan here rather than trying to secure the sixth seed or greater.

Western Conference Play-In Tournament Odds: 

TeamOdds
Golden State Warriors-3500
Los Angeles Lakers-1400
Sacramento Kings-310
Phoenix Suns-285
New Orleans Pelicans+200
Dallas Mavericks+210
Houston Rockets+380
Los Angeles Clippers+1300
Oklahoma City Thunder+5000
Minnesota Timberwolves+5000

Odds as of March 27, 2024

Best Western Play-In Bet: Sacramento Kings, -310

The Sacramento Kings are a part of this four-team race with the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and New Orleans Pelicans to escape the play-in tournament and lock down the sixth seed.

They're currently at the bottom looking up at those aforementioned squads, but they do play each team once more time before the campaign concludes. Sacramento will, in all likelihood, serve as an underdog in most, if not all of those games.

West Contender: Houston Rockets, +380

Once considered a complete afterthought heading to the lottery, an ongoing 10-game winning streak has propelled the Houston Rockets to within one game of the 10th seed.

An April 4 showdown with the Golden State Warriors will perhaps be Houston's one and only shot to make up ground, as Golden State holds the tiebreaker regardless of how that result unfolds. 


How Does The NBA Play-In Tournament Work?

The NBA Play-In Tournament setup can be quite complicated for new bettors and even professional ones trying to wrap their heads around it. Below, we break down key dates, how the schedule will unfold and important factors to consider before placing your bets on these props.

When Is The NBA Play-In Tournament?

The NBA Play-In Tournament for the Eastern and Western conferences will begin on April 16 and go till April 19. The playoffs will begin April 20 with first-round action.

NBA Play-In Tourney Format

Eight teams will be part of the NBA Play-In Tournament, with four from each conference. There will be six total games played involving only the teams that finish seventh to 10th in each conference at the conclusion of the regular season.

Here’s a breakdown of how the play-in schedule will unfold in each conference:

  • Game 1: The No. 7 team in the standings will host the No. 8 team. The winner of this game earns the No. 7 playoff seed and the losing team will get another chance to earn the 8 seed in the third game. 
  • Game 2: The No. 9 team in the regular-season standings gets to host the No. 10 team, with the winner moving on to Game 3. The loser is eliminated from playoff contention.
  • Game 3: The loser of the No. 7 vs No. 8 matchup will host the winner of the No. 9 vs No. 10 matchup, with the victor grabbing the conference’s No. 8 seed in the postseason. The loser of Game 3 also enters the lottery.

This means that the No. 7 and No. 8 teams each have two shots to earn a playoff spot. The No. 9 and No. 10 teams have to win two straight games in order to clinch a spot in the postseason.

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