NBA Play-In Games Odds, Picks & Predictions: Tuesday (4/11)
We finished the regular season on a 3-0 sweep Friday, cleaning up to cap off a terrific regular season. Over 204 games we picked against the spread, we finished 56.6% ATS when all was said and done.
Before the playoffs officially get underway, our attention turns to the four play-in tournament games beginning on Tuesday night. Let’s take a closer look at my two favorite spots.
YTD Record: 112-86-6 ATS
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NBA Play-In Games Best Bets
All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks (Tuesday)
On Tuesday night in Miami, the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat will compete for a ticket to Boston to play in the first round. This season, Miami and Atlanta have faced off four times, with the Heat coming out on top three times. The losing team from Tuesday night’s game will play the winner of the Bulls vs. Raptors game on Friday night. The victor of that contest will be given the 8th seed and a first-round matchup with top-seeded Milwaukee.
The Atlanta Hawks have had a turbulent season. The franchise made a significant offseason move, trading for guard Dejounte Murray from the Spurs to combine with All-Star Trae Young to form one of the best backcourts in the Eastern Conference. Together, the two have averaged nearly 46 points and 16 assists per game.
Nevertheless, the season took a turn for the worst when head coach Nate McMillan was fired after rumors of friction between Young and McMillan. Quin Snyder is now in charge of the Hawks, who have won 10 games out of their last 11 games under his leadership. The Hawks battled with consistency for a large portion of the season, finishing 5-5 in their final ten games.
While the Heat haven’t exactly inspired confidence down the stretch, they still have two of the best players on the court at any given time in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Increasingly healthy for the first time in months, I like for the Heat to pull away late here.
Bet: Heat -5 (-110)
Thunder vs. Pelicans (Wednesday)
The Western Conference’s Nine-Ten matchup is one of the highlights of the Play-In tournament as far as I’m concerned. All season, there have been some clashes between the Pelicans and the Thunder. With its play-In opponent here, New Orleans won the season series, but all three of its victories were by less than five points.
While the Thunder attempts to surpass expectations by securing an unexpected playoff position, Brandon Ingram and C.J. McCollum will attempt to lead the Pelicans back to the NBA Playoffs via the Play-In for the second year in a row.
The under-24-year-old trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Jalen Williams I think will have something to say about that, however.
Gilgeous-Alexander participated in all four of the Pelicans’ games this season, thrashing New Orleans twice for more than 30 points and once for over 40. Even though the Thunder lost three of those games, he scored 33.5 points on average versus his Play-In opponent over the course of four games.
I think he’s the difference in this one.
Bet: Pelicans -5 (-110)
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