The NBA In-Season Tournament will be contested in November in Las Vegas.
It will present a fun and exciting way to bet on some relatively high-stakes games at a period of the NBA calendar that doesn’t usually feature any. After all, who would want their hands on the new NBA Cup?
Below, we’ll run through the latest NBA In-Season Tournament odds and the best ways to bet on this new feature of the league calendar.
NBA In-Season Tournament Winner Odds 2023
NBA betting odds used for these NBA In-Season Tournament predictions are from Friday, Sept. 8, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Boston Celtics (+700)
- Denver Nuggets (+950)
- Milwaukee Bucks (+1000)
- Phoenix Suns (+1100)
- Golden State Warriors (+1200)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (+1300)
- Los Angeles Lakers (+1300)
- Philadelphia 76ers (+1400)
- Sacramento Kings (+1500)
- Miami Heat (+1500)
- Atlanta Hawks (+2000)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (+2200)
- Dallas Mavericks (+2200)
- New York Knicks (+2200)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (+2200)
- Los Angeles Clippers (+2500)
- Memphis Grizzlies (+2800)
- New Orleans Pelicans (+2800)
- Chicago Bulls (+3500)
- Brooklyn Nets (+3500)
- Orlando Magic (+3500)
- Indiana Pacers (+3500)
- Utah Jazz (+4000)
- Toronto Raptors (+4000)
- Houston Rockets (+5000)
- Charlotte Hornets (+5500)
- San Antonio Spurs (+6000)
- Portland Trail Blazers (+7000)
- Washington Wizards (+7500)
- Detroit Pistons (+7500)
NBA In-Season Tournament Format & Rules
The NBA In-Season Tournament has two stages: Group Play and Knockout Rounds.
In Group Play, each team will play four games against other teams in its group, which are randomly assigned based on the previous season’s records.
The best team in each group and two wild cards from each conference will advance to the Knockout Rounds, which are single-elimination games.
The final four teams will play in Las Vegas for the NBA Cup and a prize pool; each player on the winning team will get $500,000, and the players on the runner-up team will get $200,000 apiece.
All games, except the Final, will count toward the regular-season standings.
NBA In-Season Tournament Schedule
Friday, Nov. 3: Group Play begins
Tuesday, Nov. 28: Group Play ends
Monday, Dec. 4: Quarterfinal Day 1
Tuesday, Dec. 5: Quarterfinal Day 2
Thursday, Dec. 7: Semifinals
Saturday, Dec. 9: Final
NBA In-Season Tournament Groups & Betting Odds
East Group A Winner Odds
- Philadelphia 76ers (+190)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (+220)
- Atlanta Hawks (+320)
- Indiana Pacers (+600)
- Detroit Pistons (+900)
East Group B Winner Odds
- Milwaukee Bucks (+155)
- Miami Heat (+205)
- New York Knicks (+350)
- Charlotte Hornets (+900)
- Washington Wizards (+1100)
East Group C Winner Odds
- Boston Celtics (-105)
- Toronto Raptors (+450)
- Brooklyn Nets (+550)
- Chicago Bulls (+650)
- Orlando Magic (+650)
West Group A Winner Odds
- Phoenix Suns (+135)
- Los Angeles Lakers (+185)
- Memphis Grizzlies (+475)
- Utah Jazz (+850)
- Portland Trail Blazers (+1300)
West Group B Winner Odds
- Denver Nuggets (+160)
- Dallas Mavericks (+300)
- Los Angeles Clippers (+350)
- New Orleans Pelicans (+425)
- Houston Rockets (+1200)
West Group C Winner Odds
- Golden State Warriors (+180)
- Sacramento Kings (+250)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (+400)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (+450)
- San Antonio Spurs (+1400)
Who Will Win the NBA In-Season Tournament?
Boston Celtics (+700)
There’s a reason they’re the favorites.
Boston has the best odds of any team to advance to the knockout stage, thanks to a very weak group.
The Raptors lost Fred VanVleet over the offseason and look to be in rebuilding mode. The Nets are basically right there with them, attempting to assemble as many young talents as possible. The Bulls still don’t have Lonzo Ball and are returning roughly the same roster after a disappointing 2022-23 season.
I have no questions about the Celtics’ roster entering the season; they’re surely the most reliable team in the field. The Nuggets seemed bored all regular season last year, and the Bucks have some question marks.
The Celtics may not be a bold pick, but I think they’re the move.
NBA In-Season Tournament Contenders
Denver Nuggets (+950)
Coming off of a historic championship run that saw them sweep the Los Angeles Lakers and then down the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, the Nuggets will be one of the big players in the inaugural in-season tournament.
Denver has retained its core and has added depth, acquiring Thomas Bryant in a trade and bringing back veteran Jeff Green. Bryant will help Denver’s interior defense and shore up some of its weaknesses on the glass. He can also stretch the floor like many of this team’s excellent forwards.
- Can the Nuggets repeat? Check out our 2024 NBA Finals odds.
The Nuggets are also very excited about rookie Jaden Springer, who averaged 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game in his lone season at Tennessee.
Denver’s group may be difficult, with the Mavericks and Clippers entering the season hungry for more, but they should surely make the knockout stage.
Milwaukee Bucks (+1000)
The Bucks fell short of another title in 2022-23, but they’ll be players in this tournament and title contenders as long as Giannis Antetokounmpo is around.
The only thing holding this team back will be its offense, which ranked outside the top 10 last year in efficiency. However, its defense was again in the top five and should get stronger with Jae Crowder joining the fold.
Milwaukee is in the group of death with the Heat and Knicks, so that may ultimately hurt their chances of taking the inaugural NBA Cup home or even reaching the knockout round.
NBA In-Season Tournament Sleepers
New York Knicks (+2200)
The Knicks are a big-time sleeper entering the season after proving to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference a year ago.
New York had a winning record against the Sixers, Heat, and Celtics during the regular season, and it seems the only team with its number is the Milwaukee Bucks.
- See where the Knicks rank in our NBA Eastern Conference betting odds.
Of course, that could change early this season with a core of Julius Randle, R.J. Barrett, and Jalen Brunson returning and getting stronger together with each passing month.
The Knicks were among the best rebounding teams in the league last year, which should give them a way to win games in this tournament, particularly against the giants in the East.
Oklahoma City Thunder (+2200)
The Thunder have an incredible young core, but I don’t think anyone expected them to have as much success as they did a season ago.
Although they ultimately fell to the Timberwolves in the second leg of the play-in tournament, this tournament could be kinder to the up-and-coming Thunder.
The re-acquisition of Victor Oladipo and the addition of Rudy Gay should prove significant, bolstering this offense and adding an important veteran presence. OKC also improved its shooting by trading for Davis Bertans.
The Thunder find themselves in a group with the Warriors and Kings but should be able to win enough games to earn a wild-card spot in the knockout round.
This young squad is worth a sprinkle at this price.