NBA Playoffs: How To Bet, Watch New Play-In Games
Go directly to the content.
Although the Detroit Pistons didn’t make it to the expanded NBA postseason this year, Michigan sports betting is still active. MI sportsbooks are offering a wide range of NBA play-in odds for bettors to enjoy this week.
In this preliminary tournament leading up to the main event, eight teams will compete for four coveted spots in the NBA Playoffs. Each of the four matchups possesses intriguing elements that could impact betting on MI sports betting apps and shape future NBA betting trends.
Where to find NBA Play-In odds in Michigan
Starting on Tuesday, May 18, all licensed MI sportsbook operators are offering markets for the upcoming games. These games will be held until Friday. In a unique move, the NBA has organized a tournament exclusively for the teams ranked 7th to 10th in each conference. This tournament will serve as a precursor to the regular 16-team playoffs. Here is the schedule for the tournament.
- The Charlotte Hornets, ranked 10th, will be facing the Indiana Pacers, ranked 9th, at 6:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The game will be televised on TNT.
- The Washington Wizards, ranked 8th, will face off against the Boston Celtics, ranked 7th, at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, airing on TNT.
- The San Antonio Spurs, ranked 10th, will face off against the Memphis Grizzlies, ranked 9th, in a game scheduled for Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET. This matchup will be televised on ESPN.
- The Golden State Warriors, ranked 8th, will face off against the Los Angeles Lakers, ranked 7th, on Wednesday at 10 p.m. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN.
The teams that win the 7/8 games in each conference will progress as the No. 7 seed in their respective conferences. In the first round, they will go up against the No. 2 seeds. However, the teams that lose those games will still have another chance to extend their seasons. They will compete against the winners of the 9/10 games. The schedule for these contests is as follows:
- The matchup between the East 9/10 winner and the 7/8 loser is scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.
- The West 9/10 champion will face off against the 7/8 runner-up on Friday at a time yet to be determined, airing on ESPN.
The teams that emerge victorious from those games will progress as the No. 8 seeds in their respective conferences. However, they will have the challenging task of facing the top seeds in each conference’s bracket. The regular playoffs are scheduled to commence on Saturday, May 22. MI sportsbooks have introduced unique markets exclusively for this exciting NBA event.
Michigan sportsbook promos to check
As we enter the quieter summer season, the pace of promotions in the major sportsbooks trade is gradually decreasing. However, there are still a few deals up for grabs if you keep an eye out.
FanDuel Sportsbook offers a fantastic gift: By participating in a promotion this week, your initial bet will be supported with $10 worth of free bet credits, regardless of the outcome.
For the next couple of weeks, PointsBet Sportsbook is offering Michigan customers the opportunity to bet on all first-round games without any juice. This means that point spread bets will be set at +100.
Among the top-notch operators, DraftKings Sportsbook stands out with its extensive range of specials that require close monitoring. If you place a futures bet worth $25 or higher on a championship winner before Friday, you will receive an additional $5 in bets for each round that team advances (excluding the play-in sessions).
From now until the end of May, placing a bet of $25 or more on the NBA Playoffs will earn you an additional $5 bet credit.
The upcoming focus of the “hammer the over” campaign is Game 1 between the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers. For every 1,500 participants who bet on the point total exceeding a certain number, that total will decrease by one point. The maximum bet allowed is $25 with a +100 return, ensuring highly probable victories for these wagers.
Finally, newcomers who make a deposit can place their initial wager of $5 on any NBA Playoffs money line market. If successful, they will receive $200 worth of free bets.
Who are the favorites to advance this week?
By early Monday afternoon, BetMGM Sportsbook had odds available for all eight teams to secure a playoff spot through the play-in tournament.
| Team | Make playoffs | Miss playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | -2000 | +900 |
| Golden State Warriors | -550 | +375 |
| Boston Celtics | -500 | +350 |
| Washington Wizards | -450 | +325 |
| Indiana Pacers | +350 | -500 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +375 | -550 |
| Charlotte Hornets | +400 | -600 |
| San Antonio Spurs | +600 | -1000 |
In the prop market of a particular book, bettors were required to select four teams that would advance. The group consisting of Boston, Golden State, Los Angeles, and Washington had the most favorable odds at -125. On the other hand, the quartet of Charlotte, Golden State, San Antonio, and Washington had the least favorable odds, sitting at +20000.
BetMGM offers bettors the opportunity to enjoy enhanced odds when wagering on Tuesday night games. An instance of this is parlaying Charlotte and Washington to win their respective matches, which can result in a payout of +375.
Even though the Lakers need to win an additional game to make it to the playoffs, bettors remain confident in the defending champions. In fact, BetMGM reveals that 16.9% of their Finals winner tickets and 22.4% of the total amount wagered on those bets favor Los Angeles.
The Brooklyn Nets are the only team with higher percentages of both handle and tickets. A bettor has wagered $35,000 on the Lakers to defend their title at +350 odds. Seamus Magee, a trader at BetMGM, commented on the betting activity observed by the book.
According to Magee, there are six teams in the postseason who have odds better than +1000 to win the NBA Championship. Despite the playoffs appearing to be wide-open, the Nets and Lakers are the favored choices for bettors, receiving the highest number of tickets and bets placed.
Once the Eastern Conference play-in games are over, Brooklyn will discover its first-round opponent. On the other hand, Los Angeles will have to ensure victory against either Golden State or the victor of the Memphis/San Antonio game to maintain their wagers. By accurately predicting these outcomes, MI sports betting apps offer you the opportunity to seize some cash.
