If the regular season wasn’t long enough, NBA bettors still got three games to sink their teeth into before the traditional 16-team, best-of-seven series structure goes into effect over the weekend. With the Portland Trail Blazers destroying the disinterested Denver Nuggets on Sunday night, the play-in field was set. In the East, the No. 7 seed Boston Celtics will square off against the No. 8 Washington Wizards, while the defending Champion Los Angeles Lakers will run with the Golden State Warriors in the 7/8 pairing out West. The winners will punch their tickets into the second season as the No. 7 seed in their respective conferences. The losers will get a second crack to play their way into the field by taking on the winners of the 9/10 matchups in each conference. The teams fighting for their playoff lives out East include the No. 9 Indiana Pacers and No. 10 Charlotte Hornets. In the West, it’s the No. 9 Memphis Grizzlies and No. 10 San Antonio Spurs. However it plays out, it’ll make for fantastic NBA betting entertainment at online sportsbooks as the dog days of summer approach.
The Play-In Tournament is set to tip-off on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 with the games all being broadcasted live on TNT and ESPN.
NBA Betting Lines at BookMaker.eu
#10 Charlotte Hornets vs. #9 Indiana Pacers (-3, 229)
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 6:30 PM ET
It’s been quite some time since these team’s paths crossed one another. The Hornets scored the 114-97 outright win and cover as 5-point road dogs way back on April 2 to avoid having the Pacers bust the brooms out on the season rivalry. As poorly Charlotte closed the season out in dropping five straight and managing just six wins and seven pointspreads covers over its last 21 games, it hardly comes as a surprise to see the betting public hitting the Pacers minus the points in this win or go home bout. However, it’s the Hornets that enter this tilt the much healthier of the two teams. It can also be argued that they’ve got absolutely nothing to lose. With that, I’m prepared to take the points and look for Terry Rozier and his mates to find a way to get the job done. Indiana has been wretched in its own house all season in going 13-23 SU and ATS. Because of it, LaMelo Ball and company are certainly worth the beer money investment.
#8 Washington Wizards vs. #7 Boston Celtics (-3, 234.5)
TD Garden, 9 PM ET
Though the Celtics still found a way to get back into the playoff picture, there’s something rotten in Beantown. This is a team loaded with talent that only managed to produce a .500 record and kill its wagering supporters by way of accruing a 33-38-1 ATS record. With so much riding on every game the final month of the season, Boston still closed it out out losers in six of its final eight games. On top of that, they only covered three games during that stretch! On the other hand, Washington caught fire in early April and rode the hot streak to an improbable placement in the play-in tournament. Russell Westbrook has been playing with his hair on fire, while Bradley Beal has routinely gone off for big games when healthy. Boston went 2-1 SU but just 1-2 ATS in the three regular season showdowns, but all three skirmishes occurred way before the Wizz caught fire. I’m thinking it’s one and done for the C’s and don’t be surprised if Brad Stevens is back in the college ranks come next season!
#10 San Antonio Spurs vs. #9 Memphis Grizzlies (-3, 225.5)
FedExForum, 7:30 PM ET
This fourth skirmish between Southwest Division rivals has all the makings of an extreme barnburner! The three prior meetings saw combined totals of 250, 241 and 235 dent the scoreboard, so it comes off as quite the headscratcher to see this fourth go-round representing the lowest total on the board. I get that Memphis was an extreme under team at home where it cashed in at a 22-13-1 overall clip. However, I just can’t shake the idea of DeMar DeRozan and Ja Morant not looking to one up the other over the course of the game. Memphis will look to set the tempo like it always does in ranking No. 8 in pace of play, but San Antonio should have no issues matching so long as Dejounte Murray continues being the rock solid complement he’s proved to be all season. I have this pairing being one of the more entertaining and competitive of the play-in round, so bet the final outcome accordingly at your book of choice.
#8 Golden State Warriors vs. #7 Los Angeles Lakers (OTB)
Staples Center, 10 PM ET
The Lakers came oh so close to locking that No. 6 seed up with LeBron James undeniably locked in and playing with a chip on his shoulder. Unfortunately, the end results didn’t amount to much success at the betting window for their wagering supporters. With that, those booking the bets will likely be ready for an onslaught of Dubs money infiltrating the market once the betting lines hit the board for this matchup. How could they not as hot Steve Kerr’s squad closed the season by winning and covering each of their last six games? Not so fast my friend! The Lake Show is the healthiest it’s been since December and they were an insane fourth quarter in the first meeting away from sweeping all three regular season matchups from the Warriors. I think the defending champs make a statement on Wednesday night and take the wood to their division rivals in a big way. Lay the points and hit the under as LBJ and company lock up that playoff bid.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
