Don’t look now, but the NBA Play-In Tournament is less than two months away.
What’s the Play-In Tournament? It’s when, at the end of the regular season, teams seeded 6-10 in each conference participate in a mini-tournament to claim the final two playoff spots in their respective conferences.
Still confused? Here is everything you need to know.
Now, let’s check out the odds for which teams will participate in the Play-In Tournament at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Feb. 25.
To participate in Eastern Conference Play-in Tournament
Hawks: -2500 (bet $10 to win $10.40 total)
Heat: -900 (bet $10 to win $11.11 total)
Magic: -350 (bet $10 to win $12.86 total)
Bulls: +115 (bet $10 to win $21.50 total)
76ers: +145 (bet $10 to win $24.50 total)
Pistons: +300 (bet $10 to win $40 total)
Raptors: +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Bucks: +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
To participate in Western Conference Play-in Tournament
Mavericks: -475 (bet $10 to win $12.11 total)
Clippers: -330 (bet $10 to win $13.03 total)
Kings: -310 (bet $10 to win $13.23 total)
Warriors: -135 (bet $10 to win $17.41 total)
Wolves: +125 (bet $10 to win $22.50 total)
Suns: +160 (bet $10 to win $26 total)
Lakers: +310 (bet $10 to win $41 total)
Rockets: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
As of Feb. 25, in the East, the Hawks are the 8-seed, the Heat are the 9-seed, the Magic are the 7-seed and the Bulls are the 10-seed.
In the West, Dallas is the 8-seed, the Clippers are the 6-seed, Sacramento is the 10-seed and Golden State is the 9-seed.
DraftKings also dropped odds for Play-In team playoff performance as of Feb. 25.
Play-In team specials
Any Play-In Tournament team to reach the second round of the playoffs: -140 (bet $10 to win $17.69 total)
Any Play-In Tournament team to reach the conference finals: +230 (bet $10 to win $33 total)
Any Play-In Tournament team to reach the NBA Finals: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Any Play-In Tournament team to win the NBA Finals: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
So, how did Play-In teams perform last season?
Not well, to put it lightly.
In the West, the Lakers emerged as the 7-seed and New Orleans claimed the 8-seed. L.A. was defeated 4-1 by Denver in the first round and the Pelicans were swept by the Thunder in Round 1.
In the East, the Knicks defeated the seventh-seeded Heat 4-2 in the first round, and the Celtics beat the eighth-seeded Heat 4-1 in Round 1.
However, in 2023, one Play-In team nearly took things all the way.
The Miami Heat landed the 8-seed — they lost their first Play-In game — before making a run for the ages, beating the 1-seed Milwaukee 4-1 in the first round, the 5-seed New York 4-2 in the second round, and the 2-seed Boston 4-3 in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Heat would lose to Denver, the No. 1 seed out of the West, 4-1 in the NBA Finals.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
