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A Newcomers Guide to NBA Play-ins Betting

The NBA Play-In is a new system for the NBA playoffs that was introduced in the 2020-21 season. It is used to determine the final two playoff seeds in the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference.

The seventh team from each conference hosts the eight placed team in a double-chance game and the winner advances as the 7-seed. The ninth placed team hosts the tenth placed team in an elimination game. The winner of that game then hosts the loser of the 7/8 game to determine the 8-seed.

The last winners of the play-in were the Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference, and the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference.

How to Bet On the NBA Play-ins

There are a huge number of betting options for the NBA Play-Ins and it can be a bit confusing. Here we will take you through the most popular types of bets so that you can get started.

Outright Bets

Outright bets are bets on the winner of the tournament. They are long-term bets since the winner isn't known until the competition is over. They are usually made before the start of a tournament, but they can be placed once it is under way.

In this case, as it is not a closed competition but rather a way to qualify for the playoffs, you bet on which team you think will qualify from among the 8 teams that compete in the Play-Ins. For example, if you think that next season the Los Angeles Lakers will qualify for Playoffs this way, you bet on them to pass the Play-In. If it happens, you take the money. If you make a mistake, you lose the bet.

Game Results

This is simply a bet on the winner of a game. In basketball there is also no draw, so you just need to pick a team. For example, if the Boston Celtics play the Washington Wizards, you bet on the Boston Celtics and they win, you take the money. If the Washington Wizards win, you lose the bet.

Handicap Bets

If a team is a strong favorite to win, then the odds on them will be short. In order to make the odds longer, you can give the team a points handicap. The team must then overcome the handicap for the bet to win.

For example, if the Golden State Warriors, the current champion, faces Houston Rockets, the last in the Conference, the Golden State Warriors are the clear favorites. In this situation, you could place a bet on the Golden State Warriors with a handicap of -10.5. This for the bet to win, the Golden State Warriors must win with a difference of 11 points or more.

It is also possible to place a bet on the underdogs with a positive handicap. This shortens the odds but makes the bet easier to win.

Game Winning Margin

This is a bet on how many points a game will be won by. For example, in a game between the LA Clippers and Phoenix Suns, you could bet that the winning margin will be between 5 and 8 points. If the final score was finally 80-74, LA Clippers would have won by 6 points and the bet would be successful.

Half-Time/Full-Time

In this bet, you need to predict which team will be ahead at half time and which will win at full time. For example, you could bet on Phoenix Suns to be leading at half and then for the LA Clippers to win the game. Alternatively, you may bet on a draw at halftime and then a win for the Clippers, or you could bet on the Clippers to be ahead at halftime and full time.

Total Points

This is a bet on the total number of points scored by both teams during the match. The market comes with a betting line, for example 154.5. If a game between Dallas Mavericks and Orlando Magic ends 80-75 and you bet the global of points is above 154.5, you win the bet as there was a total of 155 points scored.

Player & Game Props

Player & Game Props are bets on game statistics or player achievements. For example, you can bet on the first team to score 5 points, whether a specific player will score a 3-pointer, how many 3-pointers there will be, how many fouls there will be and so on.

Live Bets

Live Bets are the bets that you can place after a game has started. Many of the bets explained above can be placed live, but keep in mind that once the game has started, the odds will change according to what is happening on the court. You will also be able to bet on the next thing to happen, such as the next player or team to score.