NBA Play-In Tournament Odds: NBA Playoff Matchups, Scenarios & Standings
The NBA regular season concludes today, which means the playoffs are right around the corner. The NBA Play-In Tournament kicks off postseason festivities on Wednesday, April 16, but which teams will feature in the event?
Our NBA Play-In Tournament odds highlight the future betting lines at our best sports betting sites and seeding scenarios heading into the regular season finales. The Eastern Conference playoff matchups have already been decided, but chaos awaits the Western Conference with slim margins between each squad in the standings.
📊 Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament odds
Odds via FanDuel as of Saturday, April 12.
- Wednesday, April 16: No. 8 Atlanta Hawks at No. 7 Orlando Magic (-5)
- Thursday, April 17: No. 10 Miami Heat at No. 9 Chicago Bulls (-1)
Both of the higher seeds are favored at home in the Eastern Conference portion of the NBA Play-In Tournament.
The winner of the 7/8 matchup, either Atlanta or Orlando, will clinch a playoff spot on Wednesday and travel to Boston to take on the Celtics. Meanwhile, the loser will host the winner of Thursday's 9/10 game between Miami and Chicago. The eventual victor in the third play-in contest will take on the 1-seed Cleveland Cavaliers.
🏀 Current NBA Western Conference standings
As we alluded to earlier, the Western Conference is currently a jumbled mess. Just one game separates seeds four through seven, so before scrutinizing the postseason scenarios, let's paint a picture. Here are the current Western Conference standings heading into the final day of the regular season:
- No. 1: Oklahoma City Thunder (67-14)*
- No. 2: Houston Rockets (52-29)*
- No. 3: Los Angeles Lakers (50-31)*
- No. 4: Denver Nuggets (49-32)
- No. 5: Los Angeles Clippers (49-32)
- No. 6: Golden State Warriors (48-33)
- No. 7: Minnesota Timberwolves (48-33)
- No. 8: Memphis Grizzlies (47-34)*
- No. 9: Sacramento Kings (39-42)*
- No. 10: Dallas Mavericks (39-42)*
* = Locked into current seed and/or matchup.
Teams in bold have something to play for on Sunday.
🔢 Western Conference Play-In Tournament scenarios
🗻 Denver Nuggets playoff scenarios
Denver is the top-seeded team with something to play for heading into the 82nd game of the NBA regular season. This means a Nuggets win over a Houston team likely to rest its starters would lock them into the fourth seed. Nikola Jokic and Co. can also clinch a playoff spot with a loss by Golden State or Minnesota.
📊 Odds on Sunday: -6.5 at Houston Rockets (-115 via ESPN BET)
⚓️ Los Angeles Clippers playoff scenarios
For Los Angeles, the scenario is relatively simple: beat Golden State and lock up either the No. 4 (with a Denver loss) or No. 5 seed. A loss would drop the Clippers into the play-in tournament barring losses from either the heavily favored Nuggets or Timberwolves. Tyronn Lue's team cannot fall further than the No. 7 seed.
📊 Odds on Sunday: +3.5 at Golden State Warriors (-108 via FanDuel)
🌉 Golden State Warriors playoff scenarios
Our last scenario outlined the importance of the Clippers-Warriors matchup. Golden State simply needs to beat the current No. 5 seed to lock in a playoff spot. However, if the Warriors lose at home, they must rely on the bottom-dwelling Utah Jazz to do their dirty work to avoid slipping into a play-in spot.
Luckily for Steve Kerr, Stephen Curry, NBA Defensive Player of the Year odds favorite Draymond Green, and the rest of the Bay Area, the furthest the 2022 champs can fall is the No. 7 seed.
📊 Odds on Sunday: -3 vs. Los Angeles Clippers (-108 via DraftKings)
🐺 Minnesota Timberwolves playoff scenarios
Minnesota currently holds the highly-coveted 7-seed, which is the highest seed in the play-in tournament. A win over the Jazz as a 21.5-point betting favorite and it locks down a place in the postseason. The Timberwolves can also climb as high as the No. 5 spot if one of the following scenarios plays out:
- Minnesota, Denver, and Golden State win
- Minnesota, Los Angeles win and Denver loses
The Timberwolves can climb up to fourth with a win, a Warriors win, and a Nuggets loss. Unfortunately, they can also slide down to eighth with a loss and a Memphis win, but that would require losing as a -4000 moneyline favorite at our best sports betting apps.
📊 Odds on Sunday: -21.5 vs. Utah Jazz (-114 via FanDuel)
🐻 Memphis Grizzlies Play-In Tournament scenarios
The Grizzlies - similar to the two teams mentioned below - are locked into the play-in tournament. Memphis is rooting for the Jazz as a Utah win, combined with a victory of its own, would see Tuomas Iisalo's team host a play-in game. Otherwise, the Grizzlies will be traveling to keep their playoff hopes alive.
📊 Odds on Sunday: -5.5 vs. Dallas Mavericks (-112 via FanDuel)
👑 Sacramento Kings Play-In Tournament scenarios
Sacramento needs a win against Phoenix or a Dallas loss to Memphis to host the Mavericks in the 9/10 game.
📊 Odds on Sunday: -13.5 vs. Phoenix Suns (-105 via ESPN BET)
🐴 Dallas Mavericks Play-In Tournament scenarios
Dallas needs help. While the Mavericks have already locked in a play-in tournament spot, they need a win and a Sacramento loss if they want to host the Kings in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 game.
📊 Odds on Sunday: +4.5 at Memphis Grizzlies (-108 via DraftKings)
❓ NBA Play-In Tournament FAQs
When is the 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament?
The 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament begins on Tuesday, April 15, and will run through Friday, April 18.
What is the NBA Play-In Tournament?
The NBA Play-In Tournament determines the final two seeds from each conference in the NBA playoffs, as only the top six seeds are guaranteed a spot in the dance. In the past, the top eight seeds were guaranteed a spot, but now the teams that rank ninth or 10th in the standings can play their way into the playoffs.
What is the NBA Play-In Tournament format?
The ninth and 10th seeds will face off, with the winner of that game getting the opportunity to steal the eighth seed from the loser of the game featuring the seventh and eighth seed.
You need to win only one game to make the playoffs if you finish the regular season as the seventh or eighth seed. For a team to qualify for the playoffs if it finishes ninth or 10th in its respective conference, two games must be won.
Who is in the NBA Play-In Tournament?
The Eastern Conference features the Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, and Miami Heat in the NBA Play-In Tournament. The Western Conference teams playing in the postseason tournament will be finalized following the last day of the NBA regular season on Sunday, April 13.
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