NBA Play-In Tournament: Prediction, Tips and Odds

The 2024/25 NBA regular season is over with 12 teams through to the play-offs and that leaves eight more battling through this week's Play-In Tournament for the final four play-off spots.

NBA Play-In Tournament betting tips and predictions

Orlando -5.0 - 10/11

The Play-Ins get started on Wednesday morning, 00:30 BST with an Eastern Conference showdown between the No.7 ranked Magic (41-41) and No.8 ranked Atlanta (40-42).

They played four times this season, winning two apiece. The most recent of that quartet was on Sunday in the last game of the regular season. Atlanta won 117-105 but in a game stripped of starters offered few clues.

It meant the Hawks signed off with three straight while the Magic were losing for the first time in six.

Back at the Kia Center, however, this is Orlando's to lose. Their offence has ignited only in patches this season but their defence has generally been excellent.

They have the tools to limit Trae Young's influence, though without Jalen Johnson do the Hawks have the shape or the game to stifle Paolo Banchero? Or Franz Wagner for that matter.

The Magic are 5.0 point favourites in front of their own fans and are worth chancing to cover that spread and go straight into a play-off showdown with Boston.

Memphis v Golden State - D Bane Over 25.5 Points & Rebounds - 20/23

Wednesday’s second game is the 7/8 dust-up from the Western Conference with the 48-34 Grizzlies at the 48-34 Warriors.

The winners will lock the No.7 seeding and go into a best-of-seven against the Houston Rockets.

Memphis are 6.5-point underdogs and it's easy to see why. Steph Curry torched the Grizzlies for 52 points when they met a few weeks ago and if Vince Williams Jr can't slow him down - forget stop him, slow him down would do - then the Dubs do this easily.

After all, even if Curry drops below 30, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and the Warriors' massed ranks of rangefinders can fill the space.

And this is the time of season when big players like Curry and Green come to the party.

So Memphis have no chance? Not quite, though they are banged up and need the likes of Ja Morant and Desmond Bane to have season-high nights.

Bane has to fly for the Grizzlies to contend and if he can get his three-point radar up to around 50 percent, then Memphis will always have hope.

Bane is averaging 21.0 points and 5.0 rebounds over the last 10 games and Golden State will cough up hope. Back him to surpass 25.5 points and rebounds.

Chicago -1.0 - 10/11

The third game of the Play-Ins is Thursday’s clash between Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls, a 10 v 9 shootout from United Center. The winners head to either Atlanta or Orlando for the right to play Cleveland, the losers go on vacation.

It is priced up as the tightest of the four Play-In games - Chicago are 1.0-point favourites - despite the 39-43 Bulls completing a three-game sweep of Miami (37-45).

The Heat have dried up as an offensive force since Jimmy Butler's late-season trade and that hands Chicago a significant edge.

The Bulls are averaging seven points a game better than the Heat and can cover the spread in the Windy City.

Sacramento Over 111.5 - 10/11

The Play-Ins conclude with the 10-9 meeting in the West between Sacramento (42-40) and Dallas (39-43).

Again, the winners get to play the loser of the other conference play-in, in this case Golden State-Memphis and that's for the right to lose 4-0 to OKC in round one.

As the Heat have faltered post-Butler so Dallas have inevitably found wins harder to come by minus Luka Doncic. They are 13-20 since the great man went to Los Angeles and are handicapped further by the absence through injury of Kyrie Irving.

Zach LaVine is firing for the Kings who have the scoring power to get this done though.

Having beaten the Mavs 129-128 in February and 122-98 in March, do not be surprised to see Sacramento go past 111.5 points.

Read more NBA betting tips and predictions on site.

NBA Play-In Tournament odds

Atlanta Hawks - 33/20
Orlando Magic - 1/2

Memphis Grizzlies - 47/20
Golden State Warriors - 10/29

Miami Heat - 20/21
Chicago Bulls - 20/23

Dallas Mavericks - 33/20
Sacramento Kings - 1/2

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.

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