The NBA regular season has concluded and now it’s time to get into the real stuff! Official post-season action begins with the Play-In Tournament which will take place from Wednesday through to Saturday, and we have you covered with our best bets for all six games right here!
Also, make sure to head over to our NBA Tips regularly, as we’ll be providing free tips for all the major games in the NBA post-season, including the Play-In Tournament!
NBA Betting Tips: Play-In Tournament 2023-24
Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Pelicans
Smoothie King Center, Wednesday 9:30am (AEST)
Game Scenario: The winner of this game will clinch the seventh seed in the West and take on the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. The loser will get a second chance on Saturday.
Game Preview: These teams met in New Orleans only a couple of days ago in the final day of the regular season and it was an important game for both teams. The Lakers prevailed comfortably in that one, leading from wire to wire to end up 16-point winners (124-108). LeBron James was massive with a fat triple-double (28/11/17), while Anthony Davis was also impressive (30 & 11). The Lakers have been in terrific form over the past month, winning 11 of their last 14 games including five straight on the road. Meanwhile, the Pelicans have lost five of their last nine games including each of their last five at home. Recent form lines certainly lead towards a Lakers win here and with experience in key games also on their side, they look to be a solid bet.
Lakers to Win
$2 (2 Units)
Golden State Warriors at Sacramento Kings
Golden 1 Center, Wednesday 12pm (AEST)
Game Scenario: The winner of this game will take on the loser of the Lakers at Kings clash on Saturday, with the winner of that clinching the eighth seed in the West. The loser of this game will be eliminated.
Game Preview: Ending the season in fine form, the Warriors will be confident their best is good enough to compete in the playoffs if they’re to get through the Play-In Tournament. They finished the regular season with wins in 10 of their last 12 games including two in a row on the road. Elsewhere, the Kings slid down the standings when it mattered most on the back of losses in five of their last seven games including two of their last three at the Golden 1 Center. Crazily, each of the last three games between these teams have been decided by a single point, with the Kings coming out victorious in the last two. However, recent form is certainly on the side of the Warriors and I expect their experience to shine through in the key moments.
Warriors to Win
$1.67 (2 Units)
Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers
Wells Fargo Center, Thursday 9am (AEST)
Game Scenario: The winner of this game will clinch the seventh seed in the East and take on the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. The loser will get a second chance on Saturday.
Game Preview: The Heat ended the regular season with a pair of wins against the Raptors to continue their solid form which has seen them win seven of their last 10 games. The Heat have gotten themselves relatively healthy at the right time and will be aiming to replicate last season’s post-season success which started in the Play-In Tournament. Meanwhile, the 76ers recently welcomed Joel Embiid back to the lineup after a long injury layup and he’s picked up exactly where he left off. Embiid helped his team string together eight straight wins to finish the regular season. These sides met four times during the season and both teams won on two occasions, once on the road and once at home. There’s very little splitting them and in a game that could genuinely go either way, taking the Heat at the juicy underdog odds looks to be a solid play.
Miami Heat to Win
$2.70 (1 Unit)
Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls
United Center, Thursday 11:30am (AEST)
Game Scenario: The winner of this game will take on the loser of the Heat at 76ers clash on Saturday, with the winner of that clinching the eighth seed in the East. The loser of this game will be eliminated.
Game Preview: The Hawks finished the regular season on a horrible six-game losing run including a monster 42-point loss last start against the Pacers where they gave up 157 points. Their current losing streak is their biggest such streak for over three seasons. Elsewhere, the Bulls finished the regular season with an overtime loss against the Knicks, but won both games prior to that against poor rebuilding teams. Regardless, the Hawks struggled to generate any meaningful momentum all campaign and seem somewhat resigned to the fact their season is done and dusted. With that said, I'm expecting the Bulls to be too strong in this elimination game and to advance through to Saturday.
Chicago Bulls to Win
$1.66 (2.5 Units)
Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat
Kaseya Center, Saturday 9am (AEST)
Game Scenario: The winner of this game will clinch the #8 seed in the East and take on the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. The loser will be eliminated.
Game Preview: The Bulls were able to pull through against the Hawks in their first Play-In game which was to be expected. They put up 40 points in the first quarter against a horrible Hawks defence and were able to control the game from that point onwards on the back of a stellar performance from Coby White. Elsewhere, the Heat would be extremely disappointed to have squandered the lead they had against the 76ers in their Play-In game. They led for the majority of the game but couldn’t deliver when it mattered most and now find themselves in this situation. Regardless, the Heat have proven to be a resilient ball club in these moments and should prove to be the better team.
Miami Heat to Win
$1.80 (2 Units)
Sacramento Kings at New Orleans Pelicans
Smoothie King Center, Saturday 11:30am (AEST)
Game Scenario: The winner of this game will clinch the #8 seed in the West and take on the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. The loser will be eliminated.
Game Preview: The Kings were able to overcome the odds and take care of the Warriors in their first Play-In Game, arguably ending a dynasty in the process. The Kings will be aiming to head to the playoffs and attempt to break their 20+ year drought of winning a playoff series. On the other hand, the Pelicans would be extremely disappointed with their loss to the Lakers last start where they led by nearly 20 points during the third quarter. CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram both had bad outings which put a lot of pressure on Zion Williamson to carry the load. Unfortunately, the latter won’t take part in this clash, but if the two former players can play to their ability then they should secure the win.
New Orleans Pelicans to Win
$2 (2 Units)
